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Have a ball tuning up your back
The Record (Bergen County, NJ) July 11, 2002 | BILL PARISI 00-00-0000 Have a ball tuning up your back — Training can help you avoid aches and pains BILL PARISI Date: 07-11-2002, Thursday Section: GET SET! Edtion: All Editions.=.Two Star B. Two Star P. One Star B The lower back is one of the most undertrained muscle groups. Exercising with a physio ball can help strengthen that area.
It’s important to work those muscles because weakness in them leads to strained ligaments or muscles, the leading cause of lower back pain.
People who work out regularly but neglect their lower backs risk injury in that area. The risk is not as high because many exercises require the lower back to act as a pillar or stabilizer to perform the movement. A few examples are squats, step-ups, lunges, and most standing movements that require free weights or cables. see here lower back exercises
You might ask: ”How am I working my lower back when I perform a standing bicep curl?” If you perform the movement under control in a slow, methodical fashion, the lower back is stabilizing your trunk. Most people sway when performing the standing bicep curl. This lack of stability throughout the movement lessens the effect on the biceps and compromises the lower back.
The best way to strengthen your lower back is to perform an exercise that directly affects it. The lower back raise on a physio ball is one of the best exercises. It is a challenging movement that you should gradually progress into. Physio balls come in a variety of sizes. The taller you are, the bigger the ball you’ll need. go to web site lower back exercises
The easiest way to start is to lie stomach down on the ball with your center of gravity over the center of the ball. Start with your hands behind your back or at your side. Determine which position feels more comfortable.
Begin lowering your upper body and curling around the ball like a snail shell. Once you reach the bottom position, raise your chest as high as you can while focusing on “activating” the lower back muscles. Beginners should hold the up position as long as they can until the lower back fatigues. Perform three to five repetitions of this motion and record the duration of each rep.
As you progress, perform more reps with less time maintaining the up position. Most of my adult clients perform two to three sets of 15 to 20 reps as a maximum.
Another way to increase the intensity of the exercise is to place your hands behind your head. Your arms weigh more than you think, and by moving that weight farther away from the axis point, you increase the effort needed to move the axis. In this case, the axis is every joint in your spine. The primary muscles involved in this movement are the erector spinea, which are embedded into and around the spine.
The final progression is to hold your hands out in front of you as if you were flying like Superman. This movement is very difficult –only advanced athletes should perform it.
The next time you exercise, make the lower back a priority. The best way to do it is make it your first exercise. This strategy works because you won’t forget, and you won’t put it off if your normal workout runs long.
Lower-back exercises don’t pay many dividends in the appearance department, but they’re priceless for overall good health.
Bill Parisi is a nationally recognized fitness expert and an authority on general health and athletic performance. Parisi welcomes your questions and comments, which may be addressed in this column. Write to him in care of Parisi Sports Clubs, 2-22 Banta Place, Fair Lawn, N.J. 07410; visit his Web site at billparisi.com; or fax questions to (201) 794-6009.
BILL PARISI
