A light gait, straightened shoulders, a flexible spine are signs of youth. If you store them carefully, youth will last for a long, long time. To do this, you need to make it a rule to regularly train the muscles that support the spinal column, endure loads without failure, and skillfully relax after them. Physical stress, overload, fatigue are manifested by pain in the lower back, neck, thoracic, and shoulder regions. This is how the body asks you to pay attention to it. An effective way to prevent pain is to stretch your back. It is enough to add fifteen-minute exercises to your daily routine and enjoy the ease that lasts youth.
What is back stretching?
Stretching the muscles and fascia of the back is a set of exercises aimed at improving the condition of the entire musculoskeletal system. The work is aimed mainly at the muscle corset. The back muscles must be strong and elastic, then the vertebrae and discs will not move, but will eventually fall into place.
Recommendations for implementation
The optimal time to perform the exercise is after a light dinner. This will relax your muscles and relieve fatigue before a night's rest. It is better to choose the same time every day. Before the complex, you need to warm up the muscles and ligaments; movements should be smooth, without jerking or sudden twisting. You need to give preference to clothes that will not hinder movement and retain heat inside the body during training.
For exercises performed in a horizontal position, it is better to take a special mat. You should not warm up on the carpet, since sudden movements can itch your skin. It is important to listen to your body. If pain appears in the back, lower back, joints and legs, stop the exercise or reduce the intensity of the exercise. For beginners, the number of repetitions of each exercise is up to 7, for regular exercisers – up to 15.
Note: The minimum number of classes per week is 4, the maximum is 6, that is, one day off must be required.
Not only does daily training make no sense in achieving your goals, on the contrary, you can also harm your body. To become truly flexible, you need to perform a full complex, devoting enough time to it. A reasonable lesson duration is from 30 to 50 minutes. More is possible, but not less.
What are the benefits of stretching for the spine?
Stretching has many advantages:
- It makes you flexible and gives you freedom of movement;
- Provides prevention of various diseases;
- Reduces or completely eliminates pain.
The muscles of the spine are in tension almost all the time. A sedentary lifestyle only increases the load. Even at night, the back cannot fully rest - a too soft mattress, a high pillow and an uncomfortable position cause the muscles to spasm. As a result, in the morning the body becomes stiff, moves with difficulty and simply does not allow you to fully live and work.
List of exercises for advanced
Each exercise from this complex should be performed for 5-7 breathing cycles. The time is approximately 40-45 seconds.
| Name | Benefits of exercise | Execution Rules | Recommendations for simplification |
| "Cobra" | Development of lumbar flexibility, elimination of lower back pain, good posture | Lying on your stomach, stretch your legs, bring your feet together, place your palms on the floor. As you inhale, raise your body so that your pubic bone presses against the floor. And your palms should be pressed to the floor. Tighten your buttocks and thighs | For pain in the lumbar region, slightly raise the pelvis |
| Jefferson Crunch | Stretching the spinal column, relaxing the back muscles | Perform while standing on a cabinet or chair. Slowly lower your head, then twist your spine until you reach full range of motion. The wrists should be below the edge of the cabinet, do not bend the knees | The amplitude should be such that it does not cause pain in the back or lower back |
| Side plank crunches | Working out the muscles of the chest, arms, abdomen, endurance training | Position in a side plank with emphasis on the forearm, the second hand behind the head, the elbow looking up. Bend forward, touching your elbow to the floor. Rise, repeat | Reducing the number of twists |
| "Fish" | Relaxes the pelvic floor muscles, strengthens the hips | Lie on your back, bend your knees and place your shins on the sides of your body. Raise your body, keeping your head and pelvis on the floor | Performed with straight legs or in half lotus position |
| Hyperextension | Development of the erector spinae and gluteal muscles | You need a hyperextension machine or any bench that you can grab onto with your feet. Place your hands behind your head and lower your body until it is parallel to the floor. Next, pull your body up, moving your shoulders back and straightening your back. | Arms can be crossed over the chest or placed on the sides of the body |
| Bridge | Improving posture, developing flexibility of the spinal column, getting rid of back pain | Lying on your back with your palms placed under your shoulders. Climb to the bridge | Perform a half bridge |
| Bridge with alternating leg raises | Improving posture, developing flexibility of the spinal column, getting rid of back pain | The first part of the exercise is performed as a “bridge”. Next, you should alternately raise your legs | Perform a half bridge without raising your legs |
Special mention should be made about the “child’s pose.” It must be performed between other exercises, every 5-7 minutes during training. The exercise does not make the back more flexible, but it allows you to relax the muscles after heavy poses, twisting, and bending. To perform this, you need to get down on all fours and stretch your arms forward. Lower your pelvis onto your heels, face down, head touching the floor.
If you experience pain, you can simplify the pose: do not stretch your arms forward, but bring them to the sides of the body. You can turn your head a little in one direction or another. This will allow you to relax your cervical spine and surrounding muscles as much as possible.
General rules for stretching
When stretching, you do not need to make sudden movements. But a warm-up is still necessary to warm up the muscles.
During classes, remember several important conditions:
- Movements should be slow and smooth;
- If pain occurs, you should stop training and rest a little;
- Make gymnastics a habit and do it every day. It is best to do the exercises in the evening;
- Try to relax your muscles as much as possible. Breathing should be smooth and calm;
- The stretching pose must be held for 10-20 seconds.
It is not necessary to perform the entire set of exercises at once. It is best to increase the load gradually. If some movements cause the most pleasant sensations, you can repeat it 2-3 more times.
Back structure
Our back, like all other parts of the body, consists of muscles. With the help of muscles, a person can move, perform various poses, and many movements are performed without our will. For example, when making any movement, no one watches their posture. And if a person does not make movements, the muscles are still at work, supporting the head so that it does not fall, and also participate in breathing and maintain our balance.
According to their location, they are divided into deep and superficial. And in some places they can be three or four layers.
Now that you have a general idea of the muscles, let's look at the back, which is the main component of the torso and its muscles cover most of the human body.
Anatomy of the back muscles. Thanks to them, as was previously said, a person can not only maintain an upright position, but also with their help you can make bends, protecting against injury.
Conventionally, the back can be divided into parts:
- Vertebrate;
- Scapular;
- Subscapular;
- Lumbar;
- Sacral.
It can also be divided into internal and external. The external muscles are arranged in 3 layers, and the layers are numbered. The internal ones are also located in 3 layers, but are called: superficial, medium and deep.
External 1st layer:
- Trapezoidal;
- Latissimus.
External 2nd layer:
- Diamond-shaped small and large.
3rd layer:
- Serrated;
- Levator scapulae muscle;
- Supraspinatus;
- Infraspinatus;
- Round muscle.
Internal. Superficial: splenius muscle of the head and neck.
Middle: back extensor - sacrospinous, transverse spinous.
Deep: levator ribs, interspinous, intertransverse, lumbar rotator muscles, lumbar multifidus, suboccipital.
Exercise equipment and devices
To make your workouts even more effective, there are simple exercise machines that can be easily installed at home. They will not take up much space even in a small apartment.
Horizontal bar
Classes on the horizontal bar are shown to people with protrusions and intervertebral hernias. But lesions of the cervical discs and vertebrae are a contraindication.
Firmly grasp the horizontal bar with both hands and hang on it for 1 minute 3-4 times a day. In the beginning it will be difficult for you to last even 10 seconds, but over time you will reach a minute.
Evminov simulator
Exercises on the simulator are recommended for people with weak back muscles, tension, hernias, intercostal neuralgia, scoliosis and radiculitis. But there are quite a few contraindications: paralysis, deep cuts, cerebral palsy, stroke, infectious diseases, glaucoma, aneurysms, kidney stones.
The Evminov simulator is a wide board with fastenings.
The exercise can be performed lying on your back or stomach. Place your feet on the floor and smoothly move your body first up and then down.
Gleason loop
Exercises on this simulator are prescribed for people with intervertebral hernias, bulging vertebral discs and lack of reactions of the neck muscles. Experts do not recommend training with the Glisson loop for those who have experienced a vertebral fracture, rupture of tendons and ligaments, as well as people with neoplasms, hypertension, osteoporosis and many others.
The Gleason loop is a device that holds the head while the load is displaced, due to which the vertebrae are stretched.
We should mention it in this thread, but this exercise should not be performed without the advice of a doctor. If you think this is what you need, consult him!
Complete stretching complexes
Naturally, you can stretch as a form of exercise before performing basic exercises, or you can seriously take on the flexibility of your own back and put your spine in order. This is especially necessary for those who, for some reason, have minor spinal defects (scoliosis is no worse than the first degree) and want to straighten their back through the formation of a stable muscle connection and begin more serious loads.
In addition, stretching can be done on non-training days to improve movement control.
| Name of the complex | When to do it | Exercises |
| Base | Training day, warm-up |
|
| With a sedentary lifestyle | Non-training day | Hanging on the horizontal bar – 3-5 approaches for maximum time |
| Female 1 | Training day, warm-up |
|
| Female 2 | Non-training day or after training |
|
| Specialized stretching | Non-training day | Warm-up + non-training day (women's 2) 2-3 laps |
Gymnastics for stretching the back and spine
Exercise machines are, of course, good, but the best, safest and most accessible exercise for the back is static gymnastics on a roller. It gently stretches the vertebrae, straightens posture and solves many problems with the spine.
After 5 minutes on the roller, you will walk with a straight back all day, and an evening workout will help you quickly relax the muscles that have become stiff during the day.
Watch the video to see how to do this exercise correctly:
The best exercises for beginners
Below we consider the recommended complex for those who are just starting training with the goal of developing spinal flexibility. Each exercise should be performed for 30-40 seconds.
| Name | Benefits of exercise | Execution Rules | Recommendations for simplification |
| Bend back while standing | Strengthening the back muscle corset, restoring the functioning of the thoracic spine, good posture | Stand up straight. Hands on waist. Bend back, bending in the lumbar region. Hips can be pushed forward slightly to maintain balance | Can be done while sitting, but do not tilt your head back too much |
| Sphinx pose | Developing lumbar flexibility, relieving muscle spasms, supporting lung function | Lying on your stomach, resting on the inner surface of your forearms. Palms parallel to each other, head looking straight | For pain in the lumbar region, fix the position for only a few seconds |
| Back arch | Stretching the back muscle corset, restoring the functioning of the thoracic region | Starting position, as in the sphinx pose. Next, you need to place your arms straight behind your back, extend them along your body and raise your body. Feet remain on the floor. | Performing a backbend in the sphinx pose, without putting your hands behind your back |
| "Swimmer" | Allows you to increase the flexibility of the spine, strengthen the legs, improve coordination of movements | Lying on your stomach, arms in front of you. The arm and the opposite leg are raised alternately, imitating the movements of a swimmer. Perform without sudden movements, smoothly | Reduce the range of motion or lift your legs first, then your arms, one at a time |
| Grasping the foot on all fours | Development of coordination and balance, spinal flexibility, calming effect | Position on all fours with one leg raised up without straightening the knee. The opposite hand clasps the foot of the raised leg, while arching the back. Repeat for the other side | You can use a fitness band or towel to grip your foot. |
| Half bridge | Strengthening the muscles of the back, lower back, pelvic floor, buttocks and thighs | While lying on your back, pull your feet towards your pelvis and bend your knees. Raise your pelvis, lifting it off the floor. Shoulders, head and feet remain on the floor. Hands parallel to the body. You need to lift your pelvis as high as possible, tensing your gluteal muscles at the top point. | The lumbar region can be supported with your hands, this reduces the load on it |
| Crunches | Development of mobility of the lower spinal column, muscle stretching | Lying on your back, pull one foot toward your pelvis, bending your knee. Move your hand to the side on the same side. When performing a twist in the lumbar region, move your knee in the opposite direction, trying to touch the floor with it. Hold for a few breaths, then repeat on the other side. | You can reduce the range of motion of your leg so that your knee does not touch the floor |
| "Arc" on the back | Relaxation of muscles in the thoracic and lumbar region, stretching of the spine | Lying on your back, place both hands behind your head, cross your legs at the feet. Turn the body and legs in one direction so that the body forms an arc | Arms can be extended along the body |
Back care in the workplace
Many of us work at the computer for several hours a day. As a result, you feel heaviness, tension, stiffness and even aching pain. Moreover, not only in the back, but also in the neck. During work, it is in an abnormal state for it - it is pushed forward. The muscles are overstrained and you feel tired - you don’t have the strength to keep your head on your shoulders. To make your life easier, don’t forget to take breaks for a special exercise:
What else can you do for your back:
- After work, be sure to lie on a cushion;
- If possible, walk to and from work;
- Buy the right mattress and pillow - your back should rest while you sleep;
- Try to sit straight at your desk - set an alarm on your phone so that it reminds you of the correct position every hour;
- Wear glasses if, due to poor eyesight, you cannot see what is happening on the screen and lean towards it.
Indications for exercises
Physical inactivity, as a particular manifestation of it, is sedentary work. Being without movement for a long time, when the position does not change, the muscles become hard and petrified. Because of this, the vessels located around are compressed and the nerve endings are compressed. Blood circulates poorly and stagnates. The body warms up unevenly, feeling either hot or cold. Regular discomfort provokes diseases, one of which is osteochondrosis.
Physical activity, regardless of its origin. Either these are household chores that you decided to do in one day, or training in the gym. This should also include:
- long walks on foot;
- carrying heavy objects (heavy bag from the market);
- standing at the stove for a long time, etc.
Someone may say that they feel great after a tiring day of work or active training. Does not experience tension in the lower back, shoulders, or shoulder blades. Despite this, it is worth performing back and spine stretching exercises for beginners as a preventative measure to maintain joint flexibility.
But if you are in pain, you find it difficult to:
- going down or going up stairs;
- enter the steep steps of public transport;
- tie shoelaces;
- straightening up at the end of the day means that your back requires close attention and a caring attitude.
In addition to the listed indications, it is worth doing exercises to stretch the spine at home, not only as a means of recovery after exercise, but in preparation for them. When you know that a difficult day is ahead, you will have to spend a lot of time without squatting, prepare your body for difficulties - do a little exercise, then you will feel how much easier the day's work is perceived.
Contraindications
Back stretching is contraindicated in the following cases:
- For osteoporosis;
- In severe forms of thrombosis;
- During periods of exacerbation of arthritis.
You should be extremely careful if there are pathologies of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
During respiratory, intestinal and urogenital infections, training should be postponed until complete recovery.
If you feel weak or are in a bad mood, it is better to stretch. Exercise should be fun.
Tensile Characteristic
Muscle strain is not dangerous, since the body regenerates quite quickly. This happens due to the supply of oxygen, glucose and other nutrients to damaged tissues. Even worse, if you pull a ligament, it will take much longer to recover.
Spinal muscle strains are classified according to the degree of injury:
- Moderate. It manifests itself as a mild pain syndrome that can go away on its own when a person takes an upright position. If you follow bed rest, recovery occurs in a couple of days.
- Average. It manifests itself as acute, sharp pain, which intensifies when the muscle contracts or is damaged. The main symptom can be relieved only with good painkillers. Treatment takes longer than in the previous case.
- Complete break. This is no longer a sprain, but a loss of muscle integrity. It manifests itself as an acute pain syndrome, which is often eliminated only by novocaine blockade. The muscle can no longer contract, and in severe cases internal bleeding occurs.
A sprain can be caused by exercise in strength sports, an unhealthy lifestyle, when the whole body is weakened and is unable to withstand even small loads, injuries or an external blow.
What is traction (traction)
Traction is a technique for treating various diseases of the spine. For example, it is used for radiculitis, hernia or severe neck pain.
The essence of traction is that spinal deformities are removed using traction. But the procedure should be approached with caution, with a doctor’s recommendation, and do not forget about general muscle strengthening.
The hood can be dry or underwater:
- Dry can be practiced at home. It will require special devices.
- Underwater traction is especially good for those who struggle with osteochondrosis. Because all muscles relax in water.
Warm up the lower back muscles[edit | edit code]
back muscles deep lumbar muscles
The lower back muscles support the spine. Being sufficiently developed, they can relieve some of the load from the spine.
The lower back muscles are responsible for straightening the torso when we return it from a forward bending position. To perform this function, the lower back muscles usually contract together with the gluteal muscles and the posterior thigh muscles.
Research shows that low back pain is directly related to weakening of the lumbar muscles. Strengthening the muscles in the back of your back is the best way to reduce and prevent back pain. Therefore, it makes more sense to work your lower back muscles as a preventative measure than to deal with the pain once it starts to bother you.
Advice[edit | edit code]
Spine
- a fragile structure that becomes more susceptible to injury with age. Strength training can not only strengthen muscles, but also increase bone density. However, they can be dangerous for the spine. Therefore, always carefully perform exercises that place stress on the spine.
Warm-up for the lower back muscles
It is usually not recommended to start a workout with exercises for the lower back muscles. It is wiser to finish the workout with them so that they do not get tired ahead of time and can support the spine during exercise. This way, when you start doing exercises for the lower back muscles, you will be fully warmed up.
Exercises for the lower back muscles[edit | edit code]
Exercises for the lower back muscles that will be useful for women can be divided into two main categories:
- Deadlift.
- Hyperextension.
Each category consists of several variations of a core exercise, allowing you to choose the exercises that best suit your goals and anatomy.
Relaxation of the lumbar spine
This is where our favorite roller comes to the rescue again! It improves the condition of the entire musculoskeletal system, straightens posture, relieves spasms and tension. As a result, the spinal axis is aligned, pain disappears, the chest rises, lowered organs fall into place, blood circulation and even vision improves!
The cushion can be placed in several places, but if you are worried about stiffness in the lower back, place it in the waist area and lie there for at least 5 minutes every day.
As a result, your lower back will begin to feel better, and your waist will become narrower. Yes, this is another additional “bonus”.
Symptoms
The symptoms of a back muscle strain are not specific, but they appear immediately and allow you to recognize the problem. First of all, the victim feels that something has broken inside. After this, the range of movements sharply decreases, any actions provoke increased pain. In the first few minutes, swelling or bruising appears at the site of injury. In addition, characteristic features include:
Why do my back muscles hurt?
- Sharp severe pain of varying intensity (depending on the degree of damage). This is the first sign by which the severity of the patient is determined.
- Puffiness or slight swelling. There is always fluid in the muscles, and when the fibers break, it accumulates in one place, so the soft tissue swells.
- Decreased mobility. Severe pain prevents bending or turning, which forces the person to move less. Gradually, the muscles lose their functionality, and the patient becomes bedridden.
- Increased pain intensity when bending over or pressing with fingers.
- Normalization of the condition in a horizontal position.
- Hematomas or bruises in the area. Minor sprains rarely cause bruising; they usually indicate serious internal tears.
If the latissimus muscle is stretched, symptoms may last for several months. In this case, the recovery process should be monitored by a specialist, since deterioration can also affect the functioning of other organs. For example, some patients experience nausea or vomiting, fever, pain while urinating, or abdominal pain.
Acute pain and a feeling of tearing are the main symptoms of a sprain.
We straighten the spine yourself at home
Setting your own bones can be dangerous. Therefore, it is better not to self-medicate.
The only thing you can do with complete safety is lie on the cushion. It instantly puts your back in place and after class you keep your posture correct for several hours.
We have already described the magical properties of the roller above and truly consider it the best invention of mankind. Therefore, order it quickly on the website Beauty365.ru. And while you're waiting for your order, you can already start changing your back for the better by making a bolster with your own hands. Simply take a towel and roll it tightly into a roll about 10cm in diameter.
Reviews
How much these or other exercises help strengthen the lower back can be determined by reviews from ordinary people who included them in their workouts.
Alena M., 32 years old “I didn’t purposefully strengthen the lower back; the complex included approaches for the entire back, which made it possible to train this area as well. I stopped exercising during pregnancy, and gradually problems appeared. The Bubnovsky complex helped to quickly recover, the doctor prescribed it.”
Elena T, 45 years old “I had pain in the lower back since I was young, but I chalked it all up to overexertion. When osteochondrosis was diagnosed, the doctor recommended exercise therapy. At first the complex seemed simple, but gradually the load increased, although I did not get tired in the process, the result was already in a month. And now I try not to miss training.”
Anton P, 36 years old “I constantly strengthen my lower back after an injury, I select exercises only with a doctor. The complex includes various techniques, including yoga, Bubnovsky, and Dikul. But without correcting nutrition, lifestyle and normalizing weight, they would not have given a good result, so we had to focus on this too.”
The lower back is one of the most vulnerable places in the human body, since it bears the maximum load during movement and performing various physical exercises. It can be strengthened using various modern techniques and exercises. The process requires strict implementation of technology so as not to cause harm or cause injury.
When is spinal traction used?
This is a very controversial issue for specialists. Some claim that stretching is beneficial for almost everyone, while others prohibit their patients from doing the exercises.
Here you need to rely on your feelings and the opinion of the attending physician whom you trust. He will definitely be able to choose a complex that is right for you.
Well, a roller is useful for everyone - these days, almost everyone complains of back and neck pain. This is not surprising, because our lifestyle has become sedentary. Therefore, be sure to set aside 5 minutes from your day for static gymnastics.
Spinal exercise for hernia
Before starting training, you should consult your doctor. First of all, you need to know what types of hernias there are: lumbar, thoracic and cervical. The division occurs according to the sections of the spine.
Stretching the spine during a hernia should be performed on an inclined bench, which is attached to a horizontal bar. The body should be as relaxed as possible. The traction force is changed by the angle of inclination. When performing, watch yourself; if pain occurs, stop immediately.
Exercises for osteochondrosis. When localizing the back and neck, the following are performed: stretching the neck: tilting the head to the side and applying pressure with the hand.
Clasp your hands at the back of your head and tilt your head forward.
If the localization is in the thoracic region, then you can perform exercises on the horizontal bar or wall bars. Go to the wall, place your hands just below your chest, move your pelvis back so that your arms are straightened. This will stretch your back and neck well, and the pain will disappear.
Next is the fetal position.
Sit on your legs with your buttocks, put your stomach on your knees, head between your knees, arms outstretched on the floor.
Lie on the floor, chin resting on the floor, arms under your feet, legs together. Raise 2 legs up together, hold and lower.
Here are just some of the exercises that are most optimal. It is also worth knowing that it is better to perform exercises on the entire torso than to train only the part where the pain is located.
A set of exercises to improve flexibility
“Your back feels like wood” - are you familiar with this expression? Have you managed to experience it yourself? Then it’s time to urgently stretch the spine - this will add flexibility. Sagging in the doors will help you with this:
Do you feel stiffness in your shoulders? Do a special exercise to relax the shoulder girdle:
Even more useful techniques that will help you achieve ideal posture at the Basic Marathon “SmeloNET”. There you will not only stretch your spine and get rid of pain, but also work on your face and your entire body as a whole.
First aid
A sprained back muscle can happen to anyone at any time. In this case, you need to know how to properly provide first aid. It consists of the following actions:
- The patient needs to ensure maximum rest for the injured muscle, regardless of whether it is located in the neck or in the lower back. You should once take a horizontal position on a hard, flat surface.
- Apply ice to the area of maximum localization of pain. It is advisable to first place it in a clean natural fabric to reduce discomfort upon contact with the skin.
- Apply anesthetic ointment to the site of inflammation. “Finalgon” or “Apisatron” are perfect for this.
- Take a painkiller tablet, for example, Solpadeine or Diclofenac.
If someone has pulled a muscle and doesn’t know what to do, these tips will prevent the situation from worsening and help reduce the discomfort that appears in the first few minutes after the injury.