Back Pain Sufferers - Are You Doing The Wrong Exercises?

Are you suffering from back pain? If so, you're not alone. It's estimated over 40% of adults, both male and female, will experience back discomfort during their lifetime. Primarily, adults experience lower back pain, which is difficult to diagnose and treat. Worse, the cause of the pain is extremely hard to pin down.

Most people have tried some form of exercise to ease their back problems. Exercise is a tried and true strategy for many problems, both physical and mental. However, people with back problems need to be especially cautious in choosing the proper exercises, lest they worsen their condition. Let's take a closer look at some exercises that will help - and potentially hurt - your back.

Here's Three Exercises To Ease Your Lower Back Pain

1. Swimming: Swimming is one of the best exercises to help loosen and stretch your lower back. Further, swimming is an excellent cardio workout with no impact, pounding, or bouncing. Start slowly with just a few laps, and work your way up to 20 laps. Not only is swimming good for your back, it's one of the best for your heart and lungs.

2. Partial Curl: This exercise is very good for both your back and abs, and it's simple to perform. Lie on the floor or a mat with your knees bent and your feet completely on the floor. Now, push your lower back into the floor and curl up, with your arms stretched in front of you, until your shoulders are off the ground. Hold for five seconds and release. Try doing 3 sets of 10. The partial curl will tighten your core muscles, strengthen your lower back, and flatten your abs.

3. Hamstring/Lower Back Stretch: This one is also easy to do. Lie on the floor with your left leg flat and your right leg bent at the knee. Now, lift your right leg and straighten it, locking your fingers behind your thigh (or calf if you're more flexible). Hold for 10 seconds and repeat with the left leg. You'll feel the stretch in your hamstring and lower back. For an advanced stretch, lift both legs straight up and hold the back of each leg, one hand on each leg. This stretch will really loosen your back, but be careful to start slowly and gently and work your way up as your back is gradually stretched.

Here's Three Exercises NOT To Do

1. Sit Ups With Legs Straight: I cringe whenever I see someone doing this at the health club. Doing sit ups with legs straight is just about the worst thing to do to your lower back, short of improperly lifting a heavy object. The partial curl is so much more effective for your abs anyway.

2. Hip Or Oblique Twists: This is another exercise seen far too often. Herky jerky twisting of the core and spine does serve any purpose and only increases the odds of injuring your back.

3. Running On Concrete: If you like to run, use a high quality treadmill. If you run outside, look for a track or at least run on asphalt, which has a bit more give than concrete. Running on concrete is tough on your ankles and knees, and jarring for your back. Consider lower impact cardio options like swimming or indoor cycling classes.

If you suffer from back pain, a good rule of thumb is to avoid high impact exercise or any exercise movement that isolates and strains your back. You can still derive optimal benefit from cardio exercise via low impact alternatives such as swimming or indoor cycling. A little common sense and preventive maintenance should help you avoid further lower back pain and keep your back strong and healthy.