By: Lyen Wong (ACE), Peak Physique and Performance
Lower back pain is common in busy professional women and can develop any time and at any age. One of the most common reasons for lower back pain is a weak core caused by a sedentary lifestyle and bad posture while sitting for hours in front of the computer. There are different ways to prevent and relieve lower back pain. Here’s some background and a few tips…
What does a weak core have to do with back pain?
The core muscles run the length of the torso. These muscles are very important to maintain a proper posture, avoid lower back pain and be able to play sports and/or do daily activities with no risks of injury. A weak core alters the position of your pelvis and changes the curvature of your lower back, adding pressure to your lumbar spine.
Benefits of strengthening your core
- Reduces back pain. Stronger, balanced core muscles help maintain appropriate posture and reduce strain on the spine.
- Improves athletic performance. Because the muscles of the torso stabilize the spine from the pelvis to the neck and shoulder, they allow the transfer of power to the arms and legs. All powerful movements originate from the center of the body out, and never from the limbs alone.
- Improves postural imbalances. Training the muscles of the core helps correct postural imbalances that can lead to injuries.
- Develops functional fitness. This is the type of fitness that is essential to daily living and regular activities.
Exercises that build core strength
Core strengthening exercises and stretching will help reduce back pain, similarly aerobic activities like walking and swimming are a good option for those with back pain. Core strengthening exercises are most effective when the torso works as a solid unit and both front and back muscles contract at the same time, multi-joint movements are performed and stabilization of the spine is monitored. Abdominal bracing is a basic technique used during core exercise training.
There are exercises that specifically target your core. Many of those can be done at home while others require the use of specialized equipment. Simple and effective core exercises include: planks, basic pushups, v-sits, squats, back bridges, hip lifts, oblique twists, lunges with twist, “bird dog”, among others.
Lyen Wong, Owner and personal trainer (ACE)
PEAK PHYSIQUE & PERFORMANCE is a specialized personal-training-only studio with highly qualified and experienced personal trainers. It is owned and operated by figure competitor and fitness model Lyen Wong.
PEAK PHYSIQUE & PERFORMANCE
350 NE 24th St. #102 Miami, FL 33137
Web: www.ppptraining.com
Blog: personaltraininginmiami.wordpress.com
Phone: (305) 674-8435