You may be surprised to know that exercise can prevent back pain. However, some exercises are not suitable and can cause chronic back pain or acute injuries. Here is the low-down on which exercises to do and which to side-step if you want to avoid back pain. Additionally, we discuss a few supplements that can support you in your goal of pain-free exercise.
Exercise Errors that Cause Back Pain
Lower back pain is not only experienced by exercise novices but by professional bodybuilders too. This is a result of incorrect exercise practices, such as omitting a proper warm-up before starting your session.
Other exercises to be avoided at all costs are leg lifts/double leg raises, sit-ups, standing toe touches, abdominal crunches, back squats, back extensions, and overhead or shoulder weightlifting. Doctors discourage these exercises because they put the back under enormous pressure, increase spinal tension, and amplify lower back extension that causes stress to ligaments and vertebral discs. Additionally, if you already have back pain, you should avoid lifting weights.
Running is a high-impact exercise that can aggravate or cause back pain. It should be replaced by walking.
Avoiding Back Pain with Exercise
The most common site of back pain is in the lower back. This is centered around the lumbar area consisting of five vertebrae L1 to L5. Vertebral discs in the spaces between the vertebra protect the bones by absorbing the shocks of natural movements as well as jarring. Ligaments, tendons, and muscles hold everything in place and connect the vertebra to the spine.
31 nerve pairs communicate between the spinal cord and the brain, which together make up the nervous system. To understand how the pain response is experienced, read more here. The two forms that back pain takes are chronic and acute. The latter does not usually last longer than a few days to weeks. But chronic back pain can occur from a lack of exercise and extends for three months or more, in some cases becoming a lifelong condition. Exercising to prevent chronic back pain requires choosing the right set of exercises that effectively maintain the integrity of the back, especially the lower region.
Supplements with Exercise to Improve Back Pain
There are a number of supplements with proven effectiveness for people suffering from chronic back pain. While most of them work to relieve inflammation that causes pain, it is still vital to continue with an exercise program designed for supporting and strengthening your back. As a supplement that works with exercise, turkesterone is worth considering for its potential advantages. One of the effects of turkesterone is that it builds up the muscle fibers in the back and boosts the ratio of muscle to fat. This can make your back stronger and better able to withstand trauma leading to back pain.
Some of the best anti-inflammatories that have been tested specifically for their effectiveness in reducing back pain are magnesium, devil’s claw, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and white willow bark. Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to chronic discomfort in the back.
There are also several topical preparations that you can obtain over the counter to apply to areas affected by pain. Capsaicin comes from the part of cayenne peppers that gives it its bite. It decreases the sensation of pain by blocking pain signals from the affected area. Comfrey is an anti-inflammatory that is administered locally to the site of pain.
Keep your back healthy and strong with the right exercises performed correctly. If you are currently experiencing chronic pain symptoms, take the recommended supplements to obtain relief. This should go hand-in-hand with your exercise regime.