Back pain exercises are much sought after these days because back pain is a common phenomenon amongst people under the age of 45 and can be rectified effectively only if the true cause behind the pain is identified. Barring a few exceptions, exercises for back pain are effective for all types of back pain, be it the pain in the lower back ore pain in the upper back. Exercises also provide a solution for back pain related to genetically or trauma related deformities and subsequent pain.      


Causes of Back Pain

Before we understand about the exercises to relieve back pain, we should have an understanding of human spine and possible causes of back pain.  Human body depends on the spinal column for structural stability and mobility. It is the spine which provides us the necessary support to bend, twist or move around. The spinal column is made up of 24 vertebrae which are placed one on another from the skull to the pelvis. The spinal column is tightly wrapped by muscles and ligaments. Now any type of injury in these muscles or ligaments can result in pain. You can rectify or reduce such back pains by carrying out proper back pain exercises.





























Exercises- The Safest Cure For Back Pain

Backache usually is a result of the spasm of muscles supporting our spine. This occurs due to improper posture, or sudden movements or jerks or repetitive actions. Diseases such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, viral infection, and bladder or kidney infection, gynecological problems in women, tumors and trauma can also cause back pain. Excess body weight, wearing of improper shoes and carrying heavy weights can also result in back pain. The best remedy for backache occurring from these reasons is back pain exercises. This is mainly because exercises to relieve back pain are safe and free from any possible side effects that is a possibility with other treatments for back pain. 

However, back pain exercises may not prove to be effective in cases where the pain is not caused by an improper posture or sudden movements, jerks or is accompanied by bowel or bladder control problems. In such cases, it is advisable that the person suffering from backache consults a physician and gets a proper treatment.

The best way to avoid back ache is to maintain a proper posture and keep your muscles well conditioned by undertaking proper back pain exercises. One should never bend at the waist or stoop to pick up an object. Instead, we should lower our body to the level of the object by bending our knees. 

The most common back pain exercise is to stand straight or sit on a comfortable chair that provides adequate support to your back. You should avoid sitting or standing in a single posture for a long time. Even while sleeping, you should be careful as to the type of mattress being used. Slouching or leaning forward should be avoided at all times. Yoga and mediation go a long way in relieving back pain and are very good exercises.

Prevention, it is said is the best cure for back pain. You can avoid backache by undertaking back pain exercises on a regular basis. These exercises strengthen the muscles in the abdomen and the spinal area and ensure that there is adequate support to the spine. Wall slides, leg raises and leg swings are the best exercises and abdominal strengthening exercises prove to be effective in toning up our back muscles.

Youíre right, the headline is a very strange one! Exercise is vital to maintain good health and most of the time, the benefits of exercise far out-weigh the drawbacks. But if you suffer from a stressful or a depressive illness, exercise can actually make you feel worse. But how can this be?
Iím sure youíve heard the following statement over and over again: exercise can help you to beat stress, or alleviate anxiety or boost a depressed mind. This is only true in part. Because many exercises can actually worsen these illnesses. And even if you perform exercises that can help, these exercises will only help temporarily.
The reason many people believe exercise to be helpful in combating stressful and depressive illnesses is because when you exercise vigorously for longer than 20 minutes, your body floods with endorphins. These chemicals give us a buzz, and this is why it is widely believed that exercise can cure stress, depression or anxiety.
If youíre suffering a stressful or depressive episode, youíll know that no matter how regularly you exercise, the bad feelings return. The only way to beat these illnesses is to treat the root cause ñ flawed modes of thinking. Exercise, though great for our bodies, simply doesnít do anything to address modes of thinking.
When my anxiety was at itís worst back in 2000, I exercised 4 times a week. For 2 days, Iíd perform weight-training exercises. These exercises are the type of exercise that can actually make you feel worse because you have time to think about all of the issues and problems you have in your life at the time. Iíd also warm up and warm down on bike machines or cross-trainers. Again, you can perform these exercises easily so you can think about your problems.













For my other workouts, Iíd perform instructor-led circuit training sessions. As youíre listening out for instructions and performing sequences of exercises at a high tempo, you donít have time to dwell on your troubles and worries. The problem is that once you stop exercising, you return to the modes of thinking which lead to stress, depression or anxiety.

As soon as my workout had finished, Iíd perform flawed modes of thinking, that made me anxious and depressed. Exercising did very little to stop me performing these flawed thought processes.
Do be aware of whatís happening when you exercise. Exercises that donít require much concentration may have you brooding over your troubles as you perform them. Jogging, walking, exercise machines, weight-training are all examples of such exercises. Instead, try ones that are more intensive or competitive so your whole concentration is required. Circuit-training worked for me, so did sports like soccer and badminton.

The idea is to give yourself a period of time where youíre not thinking about your problems and worries. And of course, youíll do your body a whole heap of good too!
The point here is to understand that exercise can only provide temporary relief. The only way to find permanent relief from your suffering is to understand and address flawed modes of thinking.  And, just as physical exercise benefits our bodies, mental skills leading to better modes of thinking will bring enormous benefits to our minds.
The following quote sums it up in a nutshell:
ìThought can make you, thought can break you.î - Swami Sukhabodhanada
Until next time.

Written, Gerald Lim