Exercises for Older Adults to Ease Common Aches and Pains, Lower Back Pain



Exercises for Older Adults to ease common aches and pains

This is 2nd week in a 4 week blog series addressing many of the aches and pains that our 50+ personal training clients tell us about.  This week the focus is on sore lower backs.

A sore lower back can impact the quality of your life and keep you from doing the things that you love.  If you would like to learn more about lower back pain and exercise an expert in this field is Stewart McGill, a professor at Waterloo University.  Here is a comprehensive guide from him about lower back pain and exercise
http://www.ahs.uwaterloo.ca/~mcgill/fitnessleadersguide.pdf

Here are a few things to consider:

1. Core Strength: Do you have the core strength to properly support your lower back? It is important not to try to build core strength by doing traditional sit-ups or crunches because they will cause further damage in your lower back.  Try the two exercises below to help to build core strength.

Ball Push

• Great core exercise if you don’t want to go down to the floor
• Keep your shoulder relaxed
• Push and hold for 2-3 seconds 10 times

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Bird/Dog Exercise

• Strengthens the muscles that line the spine
• Works balance without the risk of a fall

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2. Posture: Are you putting your body in positions that put undue strain on the lower back such as slouching? Do you make sure to get up from your desk at least every 20 minutes to move around? As you sit and read this blog or stand in line and read it think about your posture—is your chin jutted forward, are your shoulders rounded? Are you using your core muscles to gently support your back?
3. Stretching: Do you regularly and safely stretch your lower back?

Lower back stretch

• Keep your arm straight but not locked
• Stick your bottom out behind you
• Do everyday and hold for 30 seconds

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3. Sleeping: Do you sleep with a small pillow between your knees to ease the strain on your lower back?

Good Luck,

Erin

Vintage Fitness & Spirit50

Phone: 416-951-7978

Vintage Fitness is an in home personal training company in Toronto, Canada.  We specialize in energizing the lives of people over 50 with exercise. 

Spirit50 is an On-line personal training with an expert in 50+ fitness.  Inspiring movement for life.