Fun and Fitness for the 40-Something

If you’re like me, you don’t give much thought your back unless it’s hurting. Of course, with 75-85% of Americans experiencing lower back pain sometime in their lives, you might give it a lot of thought. The back is an essential part of the body’s “core,” and muscle weaknesses can wreak havoc all the way down to the feet. Yet, we tend to neglect the back muscles when working out. The exercises below will help you take care of all the back’s muscles–the erector spinae, latissimus dorsi, rhomboids and trapezius.

Stability ball prone walkout

Lie on your stomach over the top of the ball, with both feet and hands on the floor, hip- and shoulder-part apart, respectively. Gently exhaling, contract your abdominal/core muscles to stiffen your torso and slowly walk yourself forward, lifting your legs off the floor. Continue walking out until the fronts of your thighs or knees are resting on the top of the ball. Maintain a rigid torso so that your legs and trunk form one continuous line. Pull your shoulders back and down as your reach your end position, with your arms fully extended and hands directly under your shoulders. Hold this position briefly. Inhale and slowly walk yourself back to your starting position.

Seated row

You’ll need a resistance band for this one. Sit with your knees slightly bent, feet together, and back in an erect position with your torso vertical to the floor. Gently lean forward, bending at the hips and not rounding your back. to grasp the cable/band handles. Hold the handles in a closed, neutral (palms facing each other, thumbs wrapped around the handles) grip with your arms extended and your shoulders back. Contract your core and abdominal muscles and slowly extend your torso until your back is vertical and perpendicular to the floor, with your elbows fully extended.

Without leaning backwards, exhale and pull the handles towards you. Bending your elbows, hold on to the weight with your hands but think about pulling back with your elbows and keep them close to your body until the handles reach your sides. Don’t arch your low back or shrugging your shoulders. Maintain the slight bend in your knees and neutral wrist position. Inhale and gently extend your elbows back to the starting position without allowing your torso to bend forward or your shoulders to shift forward.

Standing dumbbell shrug

Stand holding dumbbells in your hands with a closed, neutral grip (thumbs around the handles, palms facing your body). Position the dumbbells alongside your thighs with your elbows fully extended. Assume a split-stance position to stabilize your body, contract your abdominal and core muscles, and pull your shoulders down and back. Maintain these positions throughout the exercise, with your head and neck aligned with your spine.

Exhale and slowly shrug your shoulders upward, avoiding any shoulder rotation or elbow bending. Don’t arch your back or bend your wrists. Inhale and gently lower the dumbbells back towards your starting position, with your elbows extended and neutral grip position. Maintain your split-stance, torso, shoulder and wrist positions.

Cobra

I was first introduced to this one by a physical therapist when I had a herniated disc. It not only strengthens—it also relieves lower back pain.

Lie on your stomach with your hands by your sides, positioned directly under your shoulders and fingers pointing forward. Extend your legs and point your toes away from the body. Gently exhale, press your hips into floor, and pull your chest away from the ground while keeping your hips stable. This will arch your lower back and stretch the muscles in your chest and abdominal region. Hold for 15-30 seconds. Gently relax and lower your upper body to rest back upon the mat or floor. If you experience any pain in the low back with this movement, stop the exercise immediately and consult your doctor.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 15th, 2008 at 8:55 am and is filed under General Fitness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.