If you have ever had a serious backache, you can appreciate just how vital your back is – even for activities you think don’t entail the back. For example, squeezing a tennis ball utilizes more muscles than the ones in your hand; the latissimus dorsi and other back muscles are also employed during this movement.
The latissimus dorsi, or “lats”, are the large muscles down your sides – in men these produce the “triangle shape” when well defined. As an example, squeeze a tennis ball – do you feel it? You will feel a tensing of these muscles on the same side of your body as the arm used to squeeze the ball. And if you have back pain, you won’t miss this!
Any sport will require strong back muscles, for speed and coordination, for balance and movement and for providing a strong ‘pillar’ for all the limbs to move off of.
Here are some simple exercises to help stretch and strengthen those all-important back muscles. Most of them are better performed on a firm, but not hard surface. While you work the muscles, you don’t want to cause undue, painful pressure on bony parts of the body.
Knee to Chest: While lying on your back, clasp both hands behind one thigh. Pull your thigh towards your chest slowly while ensuring that you keep your other leg flat. Flex your ankle as you do this – alternate between pointing your toe and pulling it back towards your knee while stretching your leg. Hold each position for about five seconds, switch legs and do it over again. Repeat 10 times.
Rotations: Do this one while lying back with your feet flat on the floor, knees together and raised. Extend your arms but keep them close to your body and keep your palms flat on the floor as well. Lift your feet just slightly off the ground and by moving your knee, rotate your torso. Move your knees a little to the left, then right. Alternate the exercise by crossing your arms over your chest, then repeat.
As you continue to practice this exercise, you will build flexibility and develop a wider range of motion. Eventually, you’ll be able to touch your knee to the floor.
Pelvic Press: Lie down on your back, knees raised and feet flat on the floor. Push the small of the back into the floor, feel the tension in the lower abdominals. Vary the action by moving your feet together and performing the exercise, then slightly apart and repeat. As you press into the ground, hold for 5 seconds, but continue to breath slowly and normally.
Pelvic Lift: Lie on your back, knees raised and feet flat on the ground, arms crossed over your chest. Keeping the legs and knees together, raise the buttocks up slightly and hold for 5 seconds. Lower slowly, count to two, then repeat. Remember to breathe normally through the exercise, in and out slowly.
Dog Stretches: Starting position for this exercise is on all fours with your head raised – look forward to achieve proper posture for this exercise. As you lower your arms, arch your back and hold this position for two seconds before returning to your starting position. Extend one leg, parallel to the floor (or as close to parallel as possible). Hold this position for three seconds, then return to starting position again. This exercise can cause hip, leg or back pain in some – if it does this for you, stop this exercise immediately.
Repeat this exercise with the other leg. You can mix it up by extending your leg with toe pointed, then flex your ankle in a perpendicular direction to the leg; hold this position for two seconds, then repeat. You should do ten reps of this exercise for each leg.
Another option for improving the flexibility in your back muscles is to use a piece of equipment known as a back stretcher. There are various styles of this back stretching equipment that make it easy and safe for you to stretch your spinal muscles.
If you feel any pain while doing these exercises, stop immediately. While some mild discomfort is normal, pain is not, and you should talk to your doctor if this occurs.
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