Top 7 Tips To Strengthen Your Back Support Muscles
- Date: 2007-11-14 - Word Count: 857
Share This!
Not surprisingly, people with strong trunk muscles and well conditioned leg and hip muscles are less likely to develop back pain and injuries than people with weak or poorly conditioned muscles. Fortunately, your muscles will become stronger if you follow a regular exercise program that challenges your muscles to do slightly more than usual. If you are not already doing strengthening exercises, start with the exercises described here that you can consider to adopt, which focus on the spinal support muscles of the abdomen and back.
1. Deadbug
Lie fat on your back, bend your knees, and keep your feet flat on the floor. Find the neutral position by flattening your lower back against the floor, then arching it up toward the ceiling and finding the point halfway between. Place your fingers at your sides on the bony area of your pelvis just below your waist. Now tighten your stomach muscles as if you were about to get punched. Lift one foot a couple of inches off the ground while keeping your stomach tight and keeping your back in the neutral position. Then put your foot down and lift the other foot. Keep your hands on your pelvis to make sure that you are tilting your pelvis as you lift your feet. Alternate the feet for 20 repetitions while keeping your pelvis stable. As this gets easier, you can increase the difficulty by lifting your arms as well as legs off the floor.
2. Bridging
Lie flat on your back, bend your knees, and keep your feet flat on the floor. Find the neutral position as illustrated above. After which, lift your hips off the ground, maintaining a neutral position in the lower back and keeping the spinal straight and your weight on your upper back. Life your hips up until you begin to find it difficult to maintain the neutral position. Keep your arms at your side, palms down on the floor to provide stability so your hips do not tilt side to side. Lower to the floor and lift up 20 times. To increase the difficulty of this exercise, do alternate arm and leg lifts while bridging. You can eventually add cuff weights to your ankles.
3. Partial Sit-ups
Lie flat on your back, bend your knees, and keep your feet flat on the floor. Find the neutral position by following the above technique. You can roll up a towel and put it under the small of your back to help you maintain the neutral position. Stretch out your arms and place the palms of your hands on the top of your thighs. Curl up your torso until your fingers touch the top of your knees. Hold this position for a moment, then curl back down. Keep the lower back on the floor the entire time the upper back moves. Now follow the same procedure by stretching both arms straight toward the left knee, then both arms toward the right knee. Repeat 10 times in each direction.
4. Alternate Arm And Leg Lifts
Lie on your stomach and find the neutral position. You can put a folded towel under your stomach to help maintain your alignment. Tighten your abdominal muscles and lift a straight left arm and right leg a few inches off the floor. Make sure that your back does not arch. Raise your arms and legs only as high as you are able to while maintaining the neutral position. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg. Do 20 repetitions.
5. Quadruped Arm And Leg Lifts
Get on your hands and knees. Arch your back up toward the ceiling. Let it sag down so that it dips toward the floor, and then come back up halfway. This is your neutral position. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Raise your straight left arm and right leg while maintaining your spine in the neutral position. Hold this position for a moment and then put your arm and leg down. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg. Do 10 to 20 repetitions.
6. Functional Squats
Stand upright and place your feet shoulder width apart. Find your neutral position and squat down while maintaining it. Your buttocks will move backward, your chest will move forward, and your center of gravity will drop straight down. Your weight should be balanced in the middle of your feet, not on the balls or heels. To avoid knee pain, do not bend your knees more than 90 degrees. Do 10 to 20 repetitions.
7. Leg Lowering
Lie on your back and bend your knees while keeping your feet flat on the floor. Use your abdominal muscles to keep your back in the neutral position, and slowly extend one leg at a time. Then slowly lower that led to the floor while keeping your abdominal muscles tight. Keep the other leg bent, and make sure that your back does not arch. Do 10 to 20 repetitions.
Raymond Lee is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry and is the Founder of Bodyfixes Group specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. He is currently the author of the latest edition of "Neck Exercises and Workouts." Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.
1. Deadbug
Lie fat on your back, bend your knees, and keep your feet flat on the floor. Find the neutral position by flattening your lower back against the floor, then arching it up toward the ceiling and finding the point halfway between. Place your fingers at your sides on the bony area of your pelvis just below your waist. Now tighten your stomach muscles as if you were about to get punched. Lift one foot a couple of inches off the ground while keeping your stomach tight and keeping your back in the neutral position. Then put your foot down and lift the other foot. Keep your hands on your pelvis to make sure that you are tilting your pelvis as you lift your feet. Alternate the feet for 20 repetitions while keeping your pelvis stable. As this gets easier, you can increase the difficulty by lifting your arms as well as legs off the floor.
2. Bridging
Lie flat on your back, bend your knees, and keep your feet flat on the floor. Find the neutral position as illustrated above. After which, lift your hips off the ground, maintaining a neutral position in the lower back and keeping the spinal straight and your weight on your upper back. Life your hips up until you begin to find it difficult to maintain the neutral position. Keep your arms at your side, palms down on the floor to provide stability so your hips do not tilt side to side. Lower to the floor and lift up 20 times. To increase the difficulty of this exercise, do alternate arm and leg lifts while bridging. You can eventually add cuff weights to your ankles.
3. Partial Sit-ups
Lie flat on your back, bend your knees, and keep your feet flat on the floor. Find the neutral position by following the above technique. You can roll up a towel and put it under the small of your back to help you maintain the neutral position. Stretch out your arms and place the palms of your hands on the top of your thighs. Curl up your torso until your fingers touch the top of your knees. Hold this position for a moment, then curl back down. Keep the lower back on the floor the entire time the upper back moves. Now follow the same procedure by stretching both arms straight toward the left knee, then both arms toward the right knee. Repeat 10 times in each direction.
4. Alternate Arm And Leg Lifts
Lie on your stomach and find the neutral position. You can put a folded towel under your stomach to help maintain your alignment. Tighten your abdominal muscles and lift a straight left arm and right leg a few inches off the floor. Make sure that your back does not arch. Raise your arms and legs only as high as you are able to while maintaining the neutral position. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg. Do 20 repetitions.
5. Quadruped Arm And Leg Lifts
Get on your hands and knees. Arch your back up toward the ceiling. Let it sag down so that it dips toward the floor, and then come back up halfway. This is your neutral position. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Raise your straight left arm and right leg while maintaining your spine in the neutral position. Hold this position for a moment and then put your arm and leg down. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg. Do 10 to 20 repetitions.
6. Functional Squats
Stand upright and place your feet shoulder width apart. Find your neutral position and squat down while maintaining it. Your buttocks will move backward, your chest will move forward, and your center of gravity will drop straight down. Your weight should be balanced in the middle of your feet, not on the balls or heels. To avoid knee pain, do not bend your knees more than 90 degrees. Do 10 to 20 repetitions.
7. Leg Lowering
Lie on your back and bend your knees while keeping your feet flat on the floor. Use your abdominal muscles to keep your back in the neutral position, and slowly extend one leg at a time. Then slowly lower that led to the floor while keeping your abdominal muscles tight. Keep the other leg bent, and make sure that your back does not arch. Do 10 to 20 repetitions.
Raymond Lee is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry and is the Founder of Bodyfixes Group specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. He is currently the author of the latest edition of "Neck Exercises and Workouts." Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.
Related Tags: back, feet, abdominal, muscles, leg, knees
Raymond Lee is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry and is the Founder of Bodyfixes Group specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information. Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Dental Insurance For Individual Can Be Of Help At Time
Dental problem may cost one a lot of money and pain. But, practicing a reasonable care could decreas - Personal Trainer For Perfect Health
There is a general misconception that need for a fitness trainer comes for novice or from those who - Varicose Veins - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
The majority of people after thirty notice the changes that appear with the maturing. In this case t - Scenar Therapy - Self-treatment Or Healing Partnership
Do you want to learn about a device which will help you to ease your pain? If you get this kind of a - Scenar - 5 "no, Nos" Of Scenar
Are you fed up with the pain in your body? Various parts of our body seem to ache due to different r - Scenar Device - 5 Tips On Travelling With Your Scenar (skenar) Device
You might be aware of scenar which has become quite popular these days. This is actually the acronym - Scenar Therapy - How To Treat Your Pet With Scenar
There are many alternative methods of treatment that are being invented these days. Lots of people a - Your Options For The Treatment For Appendicitis
Appendicitis is considered to be a surgical illness. Due to its severe character, the treatment for - How To Choose The Right Copd Medication
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD does not have any cure. But with the help of medicines - Septic Arthritis: Infectious Agents Penetrate Joints' Spaces
Another major type of arthritis is septic arthritis, which is also known in various terms like: pyog
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Drugs - the Last Alternative for Adhd in Kids
Anyone over the age of thirty who has grown up with ADHD understands that there was not much help av - Foods To Eat To Gain Weight
Malnutrition has the same degree of problem as obesity. There are people who are too skinny, they fi - Understanding Postpartum Clothing
The same way most pregnant women dream of the day when they will begin showing for wearing maternity - Kegel Exercising for Bladder Control and Enhanced Sexual Pleasure
Kegel exercises strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor, thereby improving the urethra and/or rec - The Use Of Weight Loss Herbs
Nothing has garnered more attention in today's world than the success or failures of weight loss pro - A Simple Acid Relux Cure
Many people today are afflicted with heartburn. If they eat food that is too spicy, they get heartbu - Five Effective Household Back Pain Treatments
Back pain treatment comes in lots of forms, from exercise to pain mediction. Standard and most wides - Herbal Remedies - Can They Cure What Ails You?
You've probably heard about herbal remedies before and how they can treat a variety of health proble - Natural Relief for Tinnitus - What are your Choices
Natural Relief For Tinnitus - Alternative Options Did you know that there are an estimated 50 t - Birthing Around the World
Since ancestral times, different cultures showed off different customs and beliefs around the miracl