| The Easiest Low Back Exercise Ever aka The "Tuck" |
Low back pain is a complex subject, involving a large number of
problems and causes. Exercises to improve and prevent low back
pain are equally numerous, and can be ineffective if not tailored to
your particular problem. Having someone knowledgeable and
experienced in the treatment of low back pain to customize a
program for you is essential to success. With that said, there is
one exercise almost everyone can benefit from, and it is actually
very simple. But first, a little anatomy is in order.
You may be familiar with the idea that your abdominal muscles are
involved with protecting your low back. There are three layers to the
abdominal wall on either flank. The first two, outside in, lie at an
angle to the floor and are known as your obliques. They are at
ninety degrees to each other, and help your turn. But the deepest
layer lies parallel to the floor, much like a belt does around your
waist. This layer is known as your transverse abdominal muscle,
and is responsible for pulling the stomach in. Your pelvis is made of
three bones, and pulling the stomach in with the transverse
abdominal muscle compresses these bones together, making them
more stable. Stabilizing your pelvis will assist in stabilizing your low
back, and most of the time, when you have more stability, you have
less pain.
As far as the exercise goes, all you need to do is pull your
stomach in, without bending or twisting your spine at all. It is easiest
to learn this first by lying on your back with your feet up and knees
bent. Now pull your belly button straight in to your spine. After you
pull your stomach in, you need to check if you can hold it and still
breath. You want to be able to hold it and breath normally. If you’ve
had a lot of back problems, this may not be easy at first. With
practice, the tranverse abdominal muscle will gain endurance, and
pulling the belly button in will get easier. The next step is to be able
to hold the belly button in, breath comfortably, and speak
comfortably. The last step is ongoing, learning to do this
everywhere and anywhere. While this exercise alone may not make
your back pain disappear, it is often an early step along the way.
problems and causes. Exercises to improve and prevent low back
pain are equally numerous, and can be ineffective if not tailored to
your particular problem. Having someone knowledgeable and
experienced in the treatment of low back pain to customize a
program for you is essential to success. With that said, there is
one exercise almost everyone can benefit from, and it is actually
very simple. But first, a little anatomy is in order.
You may be familiar with the idea that your abdominal muscles are
involved with protecting your low back. There are three layers to the
abdominal wall on either flank. The first two, outside in, lie at an
angle to the floor and are known as your obliques. They are at
ninety degrees to each other, and help your turn. But the deepest
layer lies parallel to the floor, much like a belt does around your
waist. This layer is known as your transverse abdominal muscle,
and is responsible for pulling the stomach in. Your pelvis is made of
three bones, and pulling the stomach in with the transverse
abdominal muscle compresses these bones together, making them
more stable. Stabilizing your pelvis will assist in stabilizing your low
back, and most of the time, when you have more stability, you have
less pain.
As far as the exercise goes, all you need to do is pull your
stomach in, without bending or twisting your spine at all. It is easiest
to learn this first by lying on your back with your feet up and knees
bent. Now pull your belly button straight in to your spine. After you
pull your stomach in, you need to check if you can hold it and still
breath. You want to be able to hold it and breath normally. If you’ve
had a lot of back problems, this may not be easy at first. With
practice, the tranverse abdominal muscle will gain endurance, and
pulling the belly button in will get easier. The next step is to be able
to hold the belly button in, breath comfortably, and speak
comfortably. The last step is ongoing, learning to do this
everywhere and anywhere. While this exercise alone may not make
your back pain disappear, it is often an early step along the way.
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| Copyright Steve Baroody, D.C. 2009 |