Back pain is one of the most common problems with adults.  This issue has been dealt with quite a bit in the past 20 years with the advancement of chiropractors, but what can you do to help your back pain without paying the 40-100 dollars a session?

Your back muscles are constantly at battle with gravity.  These muscles are what causes us to stand up right.  By strengthening the muscles that support the spine, you can prevent, reduce, or even eliminate the pain.  Your abdominal muscles play just as big a part in preventing back pain as the muscles supporting your spine do. 

First thing you should consider when trying to prevent back pain is using proper lifting form.  Most exercises will utilize some back muscles to help stabilize your body.  Even bad form during a bicep curl will bother the back.  Pay attention to your form in all exercises and you can reduce a lot of problems you might be having. 

Always keep your muscle loose.  When you workout and your muscle become tight, they shorten.  Stretching your muscles will lengthen muscles and help relieve back pain. Tight back muscles, tight butt muscles, and even tight hamstrings can affect the alignment of the spine. Stretching the back with stretching exercises also increases mobility of the joints of the spine.

You should do stretches daily and back strengthening exercises 2-3 times a week.  The days off help your body recover from the work you put them through.  Hold your stretches for 15-30 seconds and perform 2 sets of 10 repititions of each back exercise.  It’s always a good idea to perform some form of warm up before stretching and exercising.  Many times people believe stretching is a warm up but it is not.  The increased blood flow will loosen the muscle even more and allow you to stretch them to the maximum ability. 

Bigbackpain.com has made a good list of back stretches and exercises that you can perform.  I would recommend choosing 3-4 of each and doing them as advised above.

Back Stretches

Pelvic Tilt: lower back stretching exercise (also strengthens abs)

Lie on back, knees bent, feet flat on floor. Tighten buttocks and abdomen, flattening small of back against the floor. Hold for a count of five. Slowly relax. Repeat five – fifteen times.

Knee to Chest: Gluteal stretching exercise

Lie on back, knees bent, feet flat on floor. Grasp left leg behind the knee/back of thigh and pull knee towards left shoulder. Hold for a count of five. Switch sides. Repeat 5 times.

Piriformis Stretch: (Stretches Muscles that lie beneath gluteal muscles)

Sit on chair
Place your left ankle over your right leg, just above the knee and lean forward.
Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on other side.

Basic Twist: lower back stretching exercise.

Lie on back, arms stretched out to the sides.
Bend knees and bring knees up close to your chest
Take a deep breath
Exhale as you slowly lower knees (keep knees together) to floor to the right or as close to the floor as is comfortable.
Pause.
Inhale as you slowly return your knees to chest.
Exhale as you slowly lower knees to left side
Inhale as you return your knees to chest.
Repeat about 5 times.

The Cat: back stretching exercise

Begin on all fours, hands directly under your shoulders and knees directly under your hips.
Inhale as you drop tummy towards the floor and look up over your head.
Exhale as you bring your tummy back up, rounding your back as you tuck your chin in and tuck your tailbone in.
Move slowly back and forth between these two positions pausing on each pose.
Repeat about 5 times.

The Cobra: back and chest stretching exercise

Lay flat on stomach, forehead to ground, with arms bent and palms down on the ground under the shoulders.
Push downward with arms as you raise your upper torso and arch your back.
Hold for 3 full breaths before slowly bringing the upper torso back down to the ground.

Sides, Waist Stretch:
Stand with knees slightly flexed. (Can also be done sitting down) Place your right hand behind your head. Grab your right elbow with your left hand and pull gently. Bend slowly to the left until you feel a gentle stretch. Hold 10 – 20 seconds. Switch sides. Repeat.  

Wall Back Stretch: back / neck stretching exercise

Stand up with your back against the wall. Try to press the small of your back and the back of your neck toward the wall. Hold for 10 – 30 seconds. Do not overstretch!

Neck Roll:
To loosen up the neck, where many people carry their stress: Stand or sit up straight with the bottom of your spine turned under. (Do not arch your back) Let your head fall forward, keeping the neck and shoulders relaxed. Slowly roll your head to one side, then let it drop and roll to the other side. Be careful not to overstretch. Do not roll the neck backwards.

Back and Ab Exercises

The Bridge: Strengthens several core muscle groups – buttocks, abs, back

Lie flat on back; bend knees at 90-degree angle, feet flat on floor. Tighten abs. Raise buttocks off floor, keeping abs tight. Shoulder to knees should be in straight line. Hold for a count of five. Slowly lower buttocks to floor. Repeat five times.

The Plank: Strengthening exercise for back, abs and neck (also strengthens arms and legs)

Lay on stomach, place elbows and forearms on floor. In a push-up position, balance on your toes and elbows. Keep your back straight and legs straight. (Like a plank) Tighten abs. Hold position for 10 seconds. Relax. Repeat five to ten times. If this exercise is too difficult, use balance on your knees instead of your toes.

The Side Plank: Strengthens the obliques (side abdominal muscles)

Lie on right side. Place right elbow and forearm on floor. Tighten abs. Push up until shoulder is over elbow. Keep your body in a straight line – feet, knees, hips, shoulders, head aligned. Only forearm and side of right foot are on floor (feet are stacked). Hold position for 10 seconds. Relax. Repeat five to ten times. Repeat on left side. If this exercise is too difficult, balance on stacked knees (bend knees and keep feet off floor) instead of feet.

The Wall Squat: Strengthening exercise for back, hips and quads.

Stand with your back against a wall, heels about 18 inches from the wall, feet shoulder-width apart. Tighten abs. Slide slowly down the wall into a crouch with knees bent to about 90 degrees. If this is too difficult, bend knees to 45 degrees and gradually build up from there. Count to five and slide back up the wall. Repeat 5 times.

Leg and arm raises: Strengthening exercise for back and hip muscles.

Lie on stomach, arms reached out past your head with palms and forehead on floor. Tighten abs. Lift one arm (as you raise your head and shoulders) and the opposite leg at the same time, stretching them away from each other. Hold for 10 – 20 seconds. Switch sides.

Leg lifts: Quad Strengthening Exercise

Lie flat on back. Bend left knee at 90-degree angle, keeping foot flat on floor. Tighten abs. Keeping the right leg straight, slowly lift it to the height of the left knee. Hold for a count of 3. Repeat 10 times. Switch sides.

*Safety Tip for Leg lifts:
Lifting both legs at the same time causes excessive stress on your lower back so only lift one leg at a time; the opposite leg should be kept slightly bent with foot on floor.

Basic Crunches: upper abdominal exercise
Lie on back, knees bent. Do not anchor feet. (Anchoring the feet or keeping the legs straight along the floor can strain the lower back). Arms may be folded over chest or kept at sides or hands can be held beside ears with elbows out. Tighten abs. Keep the lower back flat on the floor and neck straight. Keep chin tucked – looking at ceiling helps prevent tilting head up or down. Exhale when raising your torso off the floor and inhale when lowering. Just raise your head and shoulder off the floor – three to six inches is enough. Sitting up all the way is hard on your lower back. Do ten repetitions.

Rotational Crunch: obliques exercise (sides of the abdomen)Rotational crunch is a slight variation of the regular crunch. (The variation – the direction you raise your head and shoulders off floor is diagonal). Lie flat on back, knees bent, feet flat on floor. Do not anchor feet. Tighten abs. Keep the lower back flat on the floor and neck straight. Rotate your body so that the weight rests on left shoulder. Then, keeping chin tucked, bring your head and shoulders upward and raise your right shoulder higher than the left. Move slowly.

Reverse Crunch: lower abdominal exercise
Lie flat on back, feet in the air. Bend knees 90 degrees. Place hands under buttocks for support and make sure your lower back remains flat on the floor. Tightening your lower abdomen, lift your buttocks a few inches off your hands. Hold for a moment and lower back down. Do 5 to 15 repetitions.

Leg Lifts: lower abdominal exercise
Lie flat on back. Bend one knee and keep foot flat on floor. Tighten abs. Lift opposite leg about 45 degrees. Hold for a count of 3. Repeat 10 times. Switch sides.

You can read more articles by Travis Petelle at www.gohealthyfitness.com.  Go Healthy Fitness was created to bring fitness, health, and nutrition news to the public to help those trying to transform their bodies.