Nowadays, back pain has become one of the most widespread and difficult to manage. Caused by overweight, excessive sedentary lifestyles, seated positions for long hours, or poor standing posture, it can sometimes become disabling and prevent the person who suffers from it from leading a normal life. To prevent and alleviate it, we have put together exercises for you that will help you strengthen your back and relieve pain.
What causes back pain?
Back pain affects nearly 7 out of 10 French and can manifest in various ways, such as simple morning stiffness, progressive, acute, sudden or persistent pain. It can be caused by several causes, the main ones being:
Overweight or obesity: causes excessive pressure on the spine, thus increasing the risk of pain and arthritis
Trauma: Sport, physical work, heavy loads, etc. Are all factors that can lead to damage to the back muscles or irritation of the nerves
A disc herniation: when an intervertebral disc slips and moves to the spinal canal, it can touch the nerves and cause pain
Some diseases: arthritis, osteoarthritis, etc., affect the joints and vertebrae and can cause inflammation. Back pain can also reveal other disorders such as osteoporosis, certain infections and tumors of the spine
Sedentariness: when the back muscles are no longer used, they lose their strength and their tone, which accentuates the pressure on the spine
Poor postures: which, adopted for a long time, cause a misalignment of the spine
Smoking: it alters the vessels responsible for bringing nutrients to the intervertebral discs and decreases the bone mass in the vertebrae, which can lead to a settlement of the latter.
To relieve back pain and get rid of muscle tension at the neck and shoulders, many people use relaxing massage and stretching. However, these practices provide only temporary relief. Discover these exercises that help you strengthen your back while sitting!
Exercises to strengthen the muscles of the back:
Exercise 1 :
On your chair, sit straight while laying your feet flat on the floor. Keep your arms along your bust, then lift your shoulders to your ears, making sure to keep your neck straight. Then, quickly release your shoulders. Repeat several times.
Exercise 2:
To perform this exercise, sit with your back straight, feet flat on the floor and hands close to your body. Keep the neck straight and straighten the shoulder blades without lifting the shoulders. Keep this position, then roll your shoulders forward and slowly turn your bust to the right and then to the left. Do several exercises.
Exercise 3:
Sit straight, with knees spread apart at shoulder width. Fold your arms at the elbows, and place your hands on your shoulders. Make a series of circular movements in a clockwise direction, then another series in the opposite direction. Repeat this exercise several times in both directions.
Exercise 4
On the edge of your chair, hold yourself straight with your knees spread apart at shoulder width. Place your hands behind your head and spread your elbows so that your arms are aligned. Now, rotate your body from left to right, 10 times.
Exercise 5:
Always keep the same position, knees apart and hands behind the head, tilt your head backwards to look at the ceiling. Push your head as far as possible. Repeat this exercise as many times as possible.
Exercise 6:
Returning to your usual position, basin at the bottom of the chair, stand straight with your feet flat on the floor. Lean forward for 90 ° angle. Keep this position for a few seconds, avoiding as much as possible to straighten, then return to your original position. Do a series of 5 to 6 exercises.
Exercise 7:
Always sit straight on your chair, spread your knees and place your hands behind your head while aligning your arms. Then go down to the left side and then to the right side. Do several repetitions of this exercise.