People who train with GSP Rushfit and love the benefits of high intensity exercises know the importance of healthy habits to physical performance. A simple injury to one small body part can throw off your workout, whereas a simple injury to a major body part can prevent you from living a normal life day-in and day-out.
Most people experience back pain at some point in their training routines. Many people (those training or otherwise) experience back issues at some point in their life. The significance is that a healthy back is needed for just about every activity involving movement, training or daily life, and back problems can easily persist or worsen if preventative steps aren’t taken.
In Part I of our blog post today we’ll look at 5 simple steps to reduce your risk of back injury and lower the stress on your entire spinal column.
1. FOCUS ON FORM
The main reason we preach a focus on correct form isn’t because we want your exercises to look picture perfect but because proper techniques minimize your risk of injury.
When doing kettle bell swings, you start the exercise by bending your knees, thrusting up with your legs and forward/through with your hips while your arm carries the weight to eye-level. Pushing through with your hips creates proper alignment and core support for your back while the momentum helps carry the weight in your hands up to eye level.
If your legs are tired, or weak, or you’re just lazy and don’t want to press off with your lower body, you’ll end up lifting too soon with your arm and place too much strain on your lower back. The first incorrect rep won’t kill you, but 30 of them back-to-back will probably cause you soreness either right away or after your workout, and could put you out of action for a few days.
The same rule applies to EVERY exercise; focus on form and technique for maximum gains and minimal injury. If you’re struggling to complete the exercise they way it’s instructed, lower the amount of weight you’re using until you can execute the movements properly.
2. POSTURE
A focus on form is important when your exercising, but you know what else is just as important and gets no attention? Posture.
Posture is the position and alignment of your body, so when you’re not in a focused mode during training, chances are you’re building bad habits and undoing a lot of the good work you’ve done for your body and creating unnecessary pains or aches.
As you’re reading this, this, briefly consider your posture wherever you’re sitting or standing; Is your back slouched over or is your spine nice and tall with your chest out?
Is your chin pointing down with your shoulders hunched or are they relaxed and in a neutral position with your chin pointing forward? Find the correct position as you’re sitting and feel the difference. Now imagine how it would feel if you had a correct permanent posture.
Don’t forget, proper posture isn’t just something that can improve your daily habits, it can prevent serious health issues in your long term well-being. Back pain, neck pain, discs, joints and muscles can all be seriously affected by the chain events of your back compensating and overcompensating from excess stress caused by poor posture. These effects can trickle over into your limbs and cause serious mobility issues if they aren’t prevented in the back where they begin.
3. SLEEP POSITION
Regardless of how much attention you pay to your posture while awake, it’s important to understand the impact of posture while you sleep.
Not only can back pains wake you up at night and interrupt your ability to get the necessary amount of sleep needed, you can also build negative habits and face bigger issues later in life if you’re sleeping in a position that hurts more than it helps. Of course when you’re dreaming it’s harder to notice your tendencies, but most people know they position they tend to sleep in so adjustments are easy to make.
If you sleep on your back, try a pillow or rolled up blanket under your lower back or upper thighs. If you still find discomfort, try a pillow under your feet to elevate your legs slightly and support your lower spine.
If you sleep on your side, bend your knees and bring up towards your mid-section (in a semi-fetal position). You can also place a pillow between your knees and legs for better spacing and less pulling on your lower back muscles.
If you sleep on your stomach, place a small pillow under your pelvis to straighten out your spine and reduce pressure. You should feel the relief immediately.
4. REDUCE IMPACT
Another common reason that people experience back pain while training is simply too much force and impact on their lower back.
If you have been running frequently, try running on a softer surface (grass or rubber track instead of concrete,) or switch to cycling and see how you feel after a few sessions.
If you don’t have a bicycle, try walking up stairs for less impact with an increased workload. The concept here is to take away repetitive pounding while maintaining a challenge.
Cut out plyometrics and exercises like squat-jumps, replace them with weighted step-ups or squat kicks. Lower the weight you’re working with. Remember that anytime your feet strike the ground, the impact travels through your entire body, so avoid heavy impacts at all costs. This will benefit not just your back but your knees and shins as well.
Check back with us later this week for Part II of our blog post on preventing back injuries while training and see if you can improve positive habits for your back with these tips.
-Team RUSHFIT
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