Post by MINX on Aug 19, 2006 15:54:29 GMT -5
Core Strength and Back Pain
When the core muscles are weak or there's an imbalance (say you work your rectus abdominis with crunches but fail to strengthen your lower back), a common side effect is back pain.
Back pain is common because so many muscles have to contract and relax in order to allow you to stand and move. Tendons attach muscles to bones, ligaments hold your vertebrae together and muscles protect your spine and hold your body in place. If all of these are healthy and strong, you're good to go. But, if you have weak muscles, poor posture and/or excess weight, (or if you LIFT a lot of weight lol) your back will be one of the first places you feel the strain.
Posture:
If you've ever worked with a trainer or used an exercise video, you've probably heard the phrase 'proper form.' Proper form usually refers to your posture as you're doing an exercise. There are certain things you can do all day and while lifting to reduce your chances of injury.
Proper Posture:
When standing, proper posture involves aligning body in alignment so that the pull of gravity is evenly distributed.
Good posture includes:
A straight line from your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles
Head is centered
Shoulders, hips and knees are of equal height
Some of the most common posture mistakes include:
forward head
rounded shoulders
arched lower back
excessive anterior pelvic tilt (protruding backside)
excessive posterior pelvic tilt (protruding abdomen/pelvis)
Test Your Posture:
To figure out if you have good posture, take the following posture tests.
The Wall Test - Stand with the back of your head touching the wall and your heels six inches from the baseboard.
With your fanny touching the wall, stick your hand between your lower back and the wall, and then between your neck and the wall. If you can get within an inch or two at the low back and two inches at the neck, you are close to having excellent posture.
The Mirror Test - Stand facing a full length mirror and check to see if:
Your head is straight
Your shoulders are level
Your hips are level
Your kneecaps face the front
Your ankles are straight
Now look at yourself from the side (or have someone else check you out) and look for the following:
Your head is straight rather than slumped forwards or backwards
Chin is parallel to the floor
Shoulders are in line with ears
Knees are straight
Slight forward curve to your lower back
What You Can Do for Better Posture:
Once you determine your posture deviations, you can start working on them. Your first step is to be aware of your posture throughout the day; while standing, sitting at work, sitting in your car. Ask yourself if you're keeping everything in neutral alignment?
Depending on your problems, there are things you can do to help correct your posture. For example, if you have a forward head and rounded shoulders, you probably have tight chest muscles and loose upper back muscles. Try some corrective stretching for the chest area and tighten the upper back muscles with a reverse fly or back extension.
If you have an excessive anterior pelvic tilt, corrective stretching should be done for the hips and back and strengthening exercise should be done for the lower body and abdominals.
~MINX
When the core muscles are weak or there's an imbalance (say you work your rectus abdominis with crunches but fail to strengthen your lower back), a common side effect is back pain.
Back pain is common because so many muscles have to contract and relax in order to allow you to stand and move. Tendons attach muscles to bones, ligaments hold your vertebrae together and muscles protect your spine and hold your body in place. If all of these are healthy and strong, you're good to go. But, if you have weak muscles, poor posture and/or excess weight, (or if you LIFT a lot of weight lol) your back will be one of the first places you feel the strain.
Posture:
If you've ever worked with a trainer or used an exercise video, you've probably heard the phrase 'proper form.' Proper form usually refers to your posture as you're doing an exercise. There are certain things you can do all day and while lifting to reduce your chances of injury.
Proper Posture:
When standing, proper posture involves aligning body in alignment so that the pull of gravity is evenly distributed.
Good posture includes:
A straight line from your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles
Head is centered
Shoulders, hips and knees are of equal height
Some of the most common posture mistakes include:
forward head
rounded shoulders
arched lower back
excessive anterior pelvic tilt (protruding backside)
excessive posterior pelvic tilt (protruding abdomen/pelvis)
Test Your Posture:
To figure out if you have good posture, take the following posture tests.
The Wall Test - Stand with the back of your head touching the wall and your heels six inches from the baseboard.
With your fanny touching the wall, stick your hand between your lower back and the wall, and then between your neck and the wall. If you can get within an inch or two at the low back and two inches at the neck, you are close to having excellent posture.
The Mirror Test - Stand facing a full length mirror and check to see if:
Your head is straight
Your shoulders are level
Your hips are level
Your kneecaps face the front
Your ankles are straight
Now look at yourself from the side (or have someone else check you out) and look for the following:
Your head is straight rather than slumped forwards or backwards
Chin is parallel to the floor
Shoulders are in line with ears
Knees are straight
Slight forward curve to your lower back
What You Can Do for Better Posture:
Once you determine your posture deviations, you can start working on them. Your first step is to be aware of your posture throughout the day; while standing, sitting at work, sitting in your car. Ask yourself if you're keeping everything in neutral alignment?
Depending on your problems, there are things you can do to help correct your posture. For example, if you have a forward head and rounded shoulders, you probably have tight chest muscles and loose upper back muscles. Try some corrective stretching for the chest area and tighten the upper back muscles with a reverse fly or back extension.
If you have an excessive anterior pelvic tilt, corrective stretching should be done for the hips and back and strengthening exercise should be done for the lower body and abdominals.
~MINX