Relieve back pain by moving

Healthy back through targeted exercises and movement

03/14/2014

Back pain is one of the folk diseases of the Germans. In most cases, poor posture and lack of exercise are causes of the discomfort, while a serious condition is rarely responsible for low back pain. In the run-up to the 13th day of back health experts explain what helps against tense, overstretched or stunted muscles in the back.

How back pain can be prevented
On the 15th of March every year the day of the back health takes place. Under the motto „Do it for you - daily 15 minutes back fitness! "Find nationwide actions around the topic „healthy back“ instead of. The day is organized by the Federal Association of German Back Schools (BdR) and Aktion Gesunder Rücken (AGR).

According to the AGR, 90 percent of back pain is not due to a serious illness. On the contrary, muscle tensions due to poor posture, lack of exercise and unilateral stress are usually the cause of the complaints. „The causes are the same for almost all those affected: too little exercise, untrained muscles, stress and other mental stress ", explains this year's patron of the Day of Action, Professor Ingo Froböse of the Center for Health of the German Sport University Cologne.

Ulrich Kuhnt, board member of the BdR, knows how important spinal fitness is: „Scientific research clearly confirms that physical activities have positive effects on the occurrence of back pain and its consequences, such as the number of sick days. "This year's action day is all about self-care psycho-social components. „An important goal to strengthen the back is the improvement of the coordinative skills, "says Kuhnt. „Most effective are training programs on unstable surfaces, such as pads and gyros and with flywheels, such as the Flexi-Bar. "For a good back fitness but it is not necessarily necessary to visit a gym. „There are also regularly performed exercises in everyday life. It starts with brushing your teeth in the morning while balancing on one leg, continues with dynamic sitting in the office and ends with special back exercises on the carpet in the evening, "explains Kuhnt.

Support back by upright posture
„The goal should be to re-learn a body awareness and an upright posture“, sports scientist Heike Streicher from the University of Leipzig reports to the news agency „dpa“. „For example, you should always change the seating position.“ Long stay in one position, however, is unfavorable. Gentle stretching exercises and mobilization such as shoulder circles or pulling up and dropping the shoulders promote blood circulation and stimulate the metabolism of the surrounding muscles. In this way, waste materials are guided out of the tissue and muscles and joints are loosened. „You should also make everyday life more active“, so strings. Walking instead of driving and taking the stairs instead of the elevator are just a few examples of how exercise can be easily integrated into everyday life.

Every day a 15-minute back training should be completed, which starts with a short warm-up phase with arm circles and on the spot. Then strengthening exercises, for example, from the yoga or Pilates turn. In addition, specific exercises can be completed with the Theraband. The training should be completed with thorough stretching exercises. Certain sports are also suitable for strengthening the back. „Balanced sports are also ideal“, explains Christoph Eichhorn from the German Orthopedic Association in Saarbrücken to the news agency. These can be Tai Chi, Qi Gong or Aqua Fitness. „Walking is perfect because it treats many muscles, but it is gentle on the joints and promotes mobility of the joints“, so the orthopedist. „The key is that exercise is fun.“ (Ag)