Tag Archives: low back

5 Principles of Safe and Effective Forward Bending Yoga Poses

During this hectic time of year your yoga practice is especially helpful in reducing anxiety, but if you cannot fit in a full yoga class, practicing on your own is second best. Restorative poses like forward bends top the list to release stress and refresh the mind and body, but it is important that they are done correctly.

The following principles are categorized by body part and action to help you practice safe and effective restorative forward bending yoga poses.

Hips

Imagine your pelvis as a bowl of water and your spine as the stream of water that spills from the bowl. By placing both hands on your hips and tipping your hips forward first as if to pour the water onto your feet, you set the forward bend up from your hips rather than from your lower back. This prevents the action of lumbar lordosis (rounding out) from your lumbar spine, which can stress the discs of the lower back.

Knees

If your hamstrings are tight, simply bend your knees. This will allow your pelvis to tip forward with ease without rounding your lower back. Also, you can bend your knees if you feel tension behind them and if you feel a tugging sensation on your sitting bones. It is best to feel the stretch in the belly of the muscle, rather than at the attachment points (sit bones and backs of knees). This helps to protect your tendons and ligaments from excess strain.

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Posted on December 14, 2023 by Jill

3 Yoga Poses to Avoid Holiday Shopping Aches and Pains

From the day after Thanksgiving up until the very last minute on Christmas Eve day, we find ourselves frantically racing around in our cars and walking for miles in the shopping mall. This tight schedule of spending, wrapping, stacking, and mailing off gifts in a busy post office where the line doesn’t seem to move at all can wreak havoc on our lower back, legs and feet if we are not careful. The following yoga poses will offer a reprieve from the stress our bodies endure while we are trying so hurriedly to be prepared for the big day.

Standing Forward Bend

It doesn’t matter if you are in your work clothes or donning your favorite shopping sweater; practice forward bending every chance you can get. Standing for hours while perusing the isles of robes, slippers and neck ties can tire out the muscles of your low back in a heartbeat. Take the stress off of it by doing a simple forward bend with both knees slightly bent and your feet hip width apart. When you are ready to come out of the pose, roll up slowly vertebra by vertebra and then roll your shoulders back and down upon standing.

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Posted on November 29, 2023 by Jill

Controversial Study Suggests Yoga’s Mindfulness Doesn’t Matter in Relieving Low Back Pain

Researchers at Seattle Washington’s Group Health Research Institute lead a study funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The results, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine are creating quite a buzz.

This study was conducted to determine whether yoga is a more effective method of relieving low back pain versus conventional stretching or the use of a self-care book for primary care patients with chronic low back pain.

Of the 228 adults that participated in this study, all had a type of low back pain that was not a result of a spinal disc problem or any other specific cause. In twelve weekly classes, 91 patients practiced stretching and 92 practiced yoga. The other 45 patients used the self-care book.

A back related functional status questionnaire and test of pain level was conducted before, during and after the study. The testing concluded that the outcomes in the yoga group were superior to those in the self-care group, however yoga was not superior to the conventional stretching method group in related back function and low back pain.

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Posted on November 9, 2023 by Jill

Back Exercises You Can do at Home

Back exercises are often over-looked due to the popularity of abdominal exercises. Below is a list of back exercises that can be performed at home or anywhere that you feel inclined to exercise. The exercises mainly target the lower back, but also help improve core stability, balance, and coordination.

Core stability is defined as the ability of the muscles of the trunk to stabilize the spine during movement. Dozens of muscles help stabilize the core and most are isolated in the exercises below. Balance is defined as the state of equilibrium and the following exercises help improve  the strength and endurance levels of your muscles that help make balance possible. Coordination is defined as the skillful and effective interaction of movements. In order to maximize coordination, you must challenge the body by performing coordination based exercises and movements that allow the body to work and move more efficiently. Each exercise below targets a slightly different part of the back and helps improve coordination.

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Posted on December 29, 2023 by Matt

600 Second Body Blast is Fast and Effective

The following 600 second body blast workout was designed to target the entire body while increasing the heart rate at a rapid pace. This is a short, but perfect little workout for the holidays due to the lack of time, unpredictable weather, and the versatility to be performed at home- and to get a jump start on that New Years resolution!

600 Second Body Blast Workout (each exercise appears below for easy instruction)

Jumping squat thrusts (90 seconds): This exercise increases your heart rate while challenging your upper and lower body. Try to perform this movement for 90 seconds straight.

Bicycle crunches (90 seconds): This exercise targets your entire core region while helping improve your stamina and endurance. The hip flexors are also isolated. Try to perform this movement for 90 seconds without stopping.

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Posted on December 24, 2023 by Matt

5 Minute Ab Routine You Can Fit in Anywhere

The following five minute ab routine was designed to provide you with maximum results with minimum amount of time invested- perfect for the busy holiday season. The following exercise routine can be performed at home or at the gym, so there is no excuse not to fit it in to your day.

5 Minute Ab Routine

(Video examples of each exercise appear below)

  • Bicycle crunches (1 minute): Start with your legs straight out in front of you, off the ground, and hands behind your head. Begin by bringing one knee in toward your chest and take the opposite elbow to that knee. Repeat by alternating knees and elbows. Bicycle crunches target the entire core: abdominals, obliques, and lower back.

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Posted on December 20, 2023 by Matt

8 Minute Ab Routine Produces More Results in Less Time

This 8 minute ab routine is here to knock the socks off your current ab routine. This routine is designed to be done in the gym, unless you have the correct equipment at your house. Good luck and have fun!

8 Minute Ab Routine:

(video examples of all exercises appear below)

Crunch on decline bench with arms behind head (1 minute): This exercise targets the entire core region including the low back. The goal is to perform at a moderate pace for one minute.

Leg raise on incline/decline bench (1 minute): This exercise isolates the hip flexors and lower abdominals. If you experience low back pain, slightly bend your knees and continue the exercise.

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Posted on December 18, 2023 by Matt

Plank Variations to Shake Up Your Workout

The plank exercise is one of the most effective core exercises in today’s fitness world. ACE (American Council on Exercise) ranked the plank as one of the top ten exercises for the body, stating that it is a great tool to build core and low back endurance, while it also improves the ability of the stabilizer muscles.

The plank can be modified to accommodate all fitness levels or be modified if you are experiencing any pain.

The plank exercise  can also be used as a testing mechanism. You can assess your core strength and progress by maintaining the exercise for as long as you can and then retest on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis to keep you motivated and give you something to train for. (more…)

Posted on November 4, 2023 by Matt

Top 5 Back Exercises

back musclesThe “Back” is made up of three main muscles and several smaller ones as well. The main three consist of the Trapezius, Latissimus Dorsi, and The Rhomboids. The Trapezius is a diamond shaped muscle located near the top of the back and it helps with neck and shoulder blade movement. The Latissimus Dorsi (largest muscle in body) is located near the sides of the back (wings) and it is used for pulling the shoulders downward and toward the back. The Rhomboids are located in the center of the back and are used to squeeze the shoulder blades together.

Top 5 Back Exercises
cable lat pulldown weight training
cable lat pulldown with wide overhand grip
(Click on image to view this exercise…)

Wide Grip Lat Pull-Down
cable lat pulldown weight training
cable lat pulldown with medium neutral grip
(Click on image to view this exercise…)

Neutral/Close Grip Lat Pull-DownStanding Cable, Barbell, Dumbbell Shrug
cable shrug weight training
cable shrug
(Click on image to view this exercise…)

Seated Cable Row
cable row weight training
seated cable row with medium neutral grip
(Click on image to view this exercise…)

Low Back Extension
hyperextension machine back extension weight training
back extension on machine with arms across chest
(Click on image to view this exercise…)

See the rest of Matt’s Top 5 Exercises for muscle groups like the shoulders, biceps and triceps.

Posted on July 7, 2023 by Matt