Exercise is very good for you, as you’re probably already well aware, but it’s especially powerful as an effective back pain treatment, providing you observe some simple guidelines, and practice the right routines. Here’s a bunch of simple and effective physical exercises that will probably help relieve back pain and offer up some much needed chronic back pain relief:
Shift and lift: The “shift and lift” is an exercise that will boost the muscles around your lower back and glutes (your butt) (in particular) while you’re sitting down. This is therefore something that you can perform while sat in the office, because of the nature of the ‘lifting’ part of the exercise, I wouldn’t recommend you do this while talking to others in your office, for example. They may wonder what on earth you’re up to!
Nonetheless, this is a great exercise for preventing stiff or aching muscles that will often result from sitting for an extended period of time, and it strengthens those muscles too!
While you are in your chair, relax then clench one buttock and hold for 3 to 5 seconds, lifting your hip slightly as you do so. Relax and then repeat. Do this 15-20 repetitions with each buttock.
Hip sway: This is great exercise to do if you are standing for any length of time, as it relieves the tension in your legs and stimulates the blood flow throughout the whole of your lower body. It also helps to avoid getting the lower back pain that afflicts some people if they are forced to stand for any length of time.
While standing upright, let your right knee relax and soften, while at the same time pushing your left hip out to the side. Pull the hip back in again, and repeat the same action 15-20 times. After that, allow your left knee to bend and relax, and force your right hip out in the same manner.
Lifting: Grab a bag - a supermarket plastic bag, or anything else that has suitable handles for lifting will do the trick. Put something of weight in the bag - again, it is fairly irrelevant exactly what it is, as long as it weighs at least a few kilos (water bottles are ideal for this, because you know that a liter bottle weighs almost exactly a kilo).
Keeping your arm straight down by your side, bend at the knees until you can reach the bag on the floor and then lift it by straightening your knees up. Lift until your legs are once again straight, hold the ‘lifted’ position for a few seconds, and then return the bag to the floor by bending at the knees once again.
Repeat 15 times on the one side of your body, and then repeat on the opposite side.
When done correctly - that is, by bending at the knees and not from your back - this exercise is excellent for strengthening the lower back, buttocks and hips, but it will also help to keep your arms and thighs in great shape.
Give us a shrug: This is an exercise that not only helps keep your lower back strong, but is also an effective way of releasing the tension that can build up in your shoulders and neck. It will help to keep your arms and shoulder muscles toned and in trim at the same time. It can also be done in either a standing or a sitting position.
Wherever you are, simply lift your shoulders up towards your ears in a classic shrugging motion, then lift your forearms up to a position where they are parallel to the floor and turn your palms outwards. Finally, tilt your head to one side, and twist your head slightly from the neck, then hold that final position for a few seconds. Return to the beginning and do the whole thing again, but this time, tilt your head to the opposite side before twisting.