Lower Back Exercise Using Yoga For Core Strength

Many people looking for core strength neglect lower back exercise while focusing on the abs. This is a huge mistake as the muscles of the back are vital for core strength. If you are undertaking any kind of workout program or even for normal day to day life, the back must be strong to avoid back injuries.

Why You need Lower Back Exercise

The first thing to say when we consider lower back exercise is that especially if you have current back pain or a recent injury or medical condition you should consult with your doctor or physiotherapist before undertaking any exercise program. While gentle stretching and controlled movement is generally good for healing back injuries, intensive exercise is usually better postponed until your pain is gone. Also, there are many causes of back pain and some require more rest than others.

lower back exercise

Assuming you are fit and well, there are a number of exercises that can be undertaken to improve your lower back strength. Some of the best of these are includedl ower back exercise in the series of stretches and poses known as yoga.

Yoga as Lower Back Exercise

Many of the forms and postures in yoga training are a perfect lower back exercise for improving the flexibility and strength of the back.

There are many different muscles in the back and if any of them are neglected, as they often are if we do not perform regular stretching exercises in all directions, they become tight. This can lead to distortion of the spine (causing back pain) or injuries when these neglected muscles are suddenly called into action.

If you do not want to join a yoga class, you can perform the same lower back exercise at home. Find a yoga DVD that includes the poses that you need. If you are looking online, searching for the Indian names of the stretches or poses (called asanas in yoga) makes them easy to find.

Look for the following lower back exercise stretches or postures:

• pelvic tilt (not strictly a yoga pose but you will find it on many yoga sites)
• knee to chest (pawanmuktasan)
• supine twist (supta matsyendrasana) or half spinal twist (ardha matsyendrasana)
• cat (marjariasana)
• cobra (bhujangasana)
• downward facing dog (adho mukha svanasana)

It is important to do them all because they have different and complementary actions on the spine. In other words, they balance each other out.

Lower Back Exercise – Watch your posture

Move into each position slowly and be sure to follow all of the instructions, noticing especially the correct position of your head. You can hold each position for 2-3 minutes. You will probably find that you can comfortably increase the stretch once or twice while you hold, as your lower back exercise muscles become accustomed to the pose.

Do not expect to be able to do the pose to the full extent demonstrated by the teacher. This is especially true if you are more muscular than the teacher or others in the class. A muscular body will be less flexible. There are also differences between the sexes in how far they can stretch in certain poses. That is natural and nothing to be concerned about.

Yoga is not a competition, it is just about increasing your own flexibility within the range that you have. And in your case it is a great lower back exercise.

This is your opportunity to learn the “world-class” Back Pain relief secrets that only a handful of lucky people even knew existed a short time ago…including the “super-advanced” skill, know-how and techniques. It is called the Miracle Back Pain Cure.

Keep in mind that yoga exercises should never stress the muscles or the spine. Do not try to stretch to your limits. You should be able to breathe freely without constriction at all times during your lower back exercise program.

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Hip Arthritis Exercises

Simple Walking Tips

The Alternate Dumbbell Press

The Alternate Dumbbell press is a great exercise for you shoulders and triceps as well as good for coordination for the upper body.

Position: A standing position with the feet a comfortable distance apart and a dumbbell held in each hand at the shoulders.

Action: From this position, the dumbbells are pushed overhead until the arms are locked at the elbows, then returned to the shoulders and the motion repeated.

The arms are extended overhead alternately.
First, one dumbbell is pushed overhead and as it descends to the shoulder the other dumbbell is pushed overhead.
One is rising as the other is descending. If one arm is stronger than the other it is wise to start with the weaker arm and concentrate on its effort.

Breathing: Inhale as the weaker arm pushes the overhead and exhale as the stronger arm goes overhead.

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5 Exercises Done Wrong – How To Do Them Right

As millions of Americans in February have almost given up on those new years resolutions, many are getting in over their heads. According to Stacy Berman, a New York City certified personal trainer and founder of Stacy’s Boot Camp, “when a person decides to attempt lifting and exercise on their own, they are at great risk for injury, which can set them back even further than where they started.”

Stacy notes that almost everyone knows that lifting a heavy object without bending at the knees strains the lower back or running on an uneven surface causes sore knees and hips. What most people don’t know is that even slight changes in posture and incorrect technique while performing -lifting movements can cause great injuries.

Below Stacy lists the top five exercises that people do WRONG in the gym, and how to correct your own technique to avoid getting hurt.

Sit-ups

The sit-up is not only bad for the neck, it isn’t very effective at toning the mid-section, either. Many people lock their hands behind their head and strain their neck while sitting up, causing a torque in the spine, which ultimately leads to neck and back pain.

• Do it Right: According to Stacy, “For a safe and effective stomach workout, you should do abdominal crunches instead of sit-ups. Lie on your back and position your legs with your feet on the floor and your knees bent.
• Then, with your hands either behind your head or crossed over your chest, lift your entire torso from the belly button-up to about a 45-degree angle, taking care to keep your spine aligned and your back flat against the floor.” Stacy also notes that slower is better – slowly lift and lower your torso for a better overall ab workout and less strain on your neck and back.

Squats

When done correctly, squats can be a great strength building and toning exercise for the lower body, however, Stacy says, many people overdo it when it comes to – which can lead to injury. “Doing a squat exercise with a barbell across your back puts you in a position to lift a great amount of many people – men especially – are prone to add too much too soon, causing them to default into improper position just to lift the .”

• Do it Right: Starting at a low is key for squats, notes Stacy, because you can focus solely on your form. The proper positioning for a squat should be as follows: standing straight with a plain (no added) barbell across the back of your shoulders and your feet slightly wider  than shoulder width apart, lower your body down as if you are going to sit in a chair.
• Keeping your knees in a straight line as you lower and stop as your thighs are creating a 90-degree angle with your lower legs. Your knees should stay in line with the rest of your legs (do not let them buckle in or out) and should not at any point bend too far forward as to cover your toes (always keep your toes in sight to make sure your are sitting “deep” enough into the squat).

Shoulder Press

This exercise strains the shoulders, both on the way down and on the way up. The little muscles on the top of your shoulders work too hard and become inflamed, causing “ lifters shoulder.” It can also a lot of stress on the shoulder joints, which can lead to permanent damage.

• Do it Right: By keeping your spine in line with your shoulders and head, you can avoid potential pain and injury in your shoulders and spine, says Stacy.
• Just like the squat, moderate should be used while you are still developing proper form. Stacy also adds: “you should avoid the common ‘thrust up’ than you may see many lifters using at the gym – which creates a lot of force on the way up, making the exercise easier, but very dangerous if you are not in control of the you are lifting.”

Push-ups

Push-ups are often the culprit of neck, lower back, elbow and shoulder pain. They require a lot of strength – holding your entire body parallel to the floor is no small feat and it’s easy to overdo it.

• Do it Right: According to Stacy, “the number one sin when doing push-ups is the ‘saggy back,’ which I see in almost all of my clients when they first start doing the exercise.” Stacy recommends you start with modified push-ups on your knees in the proper form – which is hands placed shoulder-width apart and lowering your body until your chest nearly touches the floor, keeping your head, neck and back aligned. “Once you are comfortable doing modified push-ups, start adding just a few ‘regular’ ones into your routine until you are strong enough to completely replace the modified ones,” says Stacy.

Pull-Ups

Ever since Middle School, push-ups have been the time-old test for fitness. Stacy says the exercise is only effective if you do it right – the most common mistake, she notes, is locking your elbows when you are lowering yourself from the bar. “Pull-ups are a combination of raw strength and momentum. Being in control is a top priority – because if you are swinging up and down on the bar, you will strain your arms, neck and back in the process. Knowing when to stop is also a very important piece of advice.”

• Do it Right: Using an assisted pull-up machine at the gym will help you reach your goal while keeping proper form. Using a machine should not make the exercise easy for you, but just “doable” says Stacy. “Position your hands a little wider than shoulder width apart. Traditional ‘pull up’ hand position is to curl your hands under the bar, with your fingers facing you.
• The primary muscle you will be engaging is your biceps. Lower yourself slowly until your arms are almost completely extended, but not ‘locked’ at the elbows. Pull yourself back up in the same controlled motion. Do this with a little less assistance each time and eventually you will be on your own!”

One final point from Stacy: working out should be fun and leave you feeling refreshed and invigorated, not in pain. Don’t feel pressure to show off at the gym or get ahead of yourself – slow and steady wins the race!

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The Stiff Legged Deadlift

A stiff legged deadlift is a great stretch to make sure that you are always improving your flexibility. Not only initially will you be able to tell how well you are doing, but as you improve your flexibility you will have better body control and your movement will be much better.

First remember if you are going to stretch you need to be very careful to only stretch after having warmed up. Stretching while you are cold can lead to muscle pulls.

Have a short 5 minute warmup of cardio so that you are sweating just a bit and your muscles are loose and warm and then do your stretches.

Doing A Stiff Legged Deadlift

Position: A standing position with the feet a comfortable distance apart, the knees locked and the barbell held in front of the legs with the elbows straight.

Action: Keeping both knees and elbows straight, the trunk is bent forward as far as is comfortable, then the erect position is regained.

Breathing: Exhale as the body is bent forward and inhale as the erect position is regained.

Starting Resistance: Most women will find a starting resistance of 25 lbs. quite comfortable and most men 40 lbs.

Goal: Girls and women should work up to a resistance of 50 lbs. Boys and men should work up to a resistance of 100 lbs. or more.

Results: This movement will develop and strengthen the large muscles of the lower back and will also strengthen those of the hips and back of the thighs. It is very necessary that these muscles be well developed and strong. They protect the spine and sacro-iliac joints from injury and their strength gives a margin of safety against low back pain and discomfort.

Comments: As the back is bent forward, the muscles in the back and the back of the legs are stretched extensively.

Because of differences in anatomical construction and flexibility, some children and adults will be able to bend forward and touch the floor easily, while others will not be able to bend much more than half the way down. The exerciser should not bend any further forward than is comfortable, but with practice the back will become more flexible and very strong.

In the fully stretched position with the knees locked and the hands close to the floor, much pressure is placed upon the inner borders of the intervertebral discs. The untrained individual invites low back trouble by lifting heavy objects in this position. The proper position to use in lifting heavy objects from the floor is to make the effort with the knees bent and the back relatively flat so that much of the effort is taken by the legs and the back is kept in relatively good position.

In advanced training of athletes who need great strength in the lower back, this movement is used through a short range of movement with very heavy resistance. The movement is started from a standing position and the bar is lowered to about the height of the knees.

During the motion the lower back is kept flat and fixed (never permitted to “round”) and the motion is made almost entirely from the hips. In this position the lumbar spine is kept in a strong position with little pressure on the front borders of the vertebrae. The bar is usually lowered to a predetermined height regulated by some support set at that position for the bar orweights to touch.

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Inclined Board Exercises

An inclined board is a board so arranged that it will permit the user to perform the abdominal exercises with the body at an angle to the floor.

This apparatus is a board about 20 to 24 inches wide and 6 or 7 feet long, with a strap across one end of it. The end with the strap is placed on a stand or fastened to the wall to give the desired slant to the incline.

What Is An Inclined Board?

The steeper the slant of the board, the move difficult is the exercise. For most purposes, the height of the raised end of the board should be about 20 to 24 inches from the floor.

The incline permits the abdominal muscles to exert their pull over a longer range of movement. In movements with the feet held by the strap, the of the abdominal viscera is toward the chest cavity.

This relieves any possibility of pressure against the muscle wall by the viscera during the exercise. This is especially helpful if the individual has a small hernia or a tendency toward one.

The Sitting Up Exercise on the Inclined Board

Position: A sitting position on the board with the knees straight and the feet hooked under the strap to prevent sliding down the board.

The hands are clasped behind the neck, or the arms are extended in front. (If the motion is difficult with the hands behind the neck, the motion should be performed with the arms extended toward the toes.)

Action: Keeping both knees straight and the chin on the chest, the exerciser leans backward until the lower back can just touch the board, then he returns to the sitting position.

If the arms are extended in front of the body, lie should sit up until he can touch the toes, or as nearly as possible. If his hands are clasped behind the neck, he should try to touch his elbows on his knees each time he comes up.

Breathing: Inhale as the shoulders are lowered and exhale as the sitting position is regained.

Starting Resistance: In starting this movement, it will be sufficient to hold the arms extended in front, if the movement is rather difficult. If the movement is easy, the hands should be clasped behind the neck.

Progression: The exercise should be started with 5 counts adding 1 count each week until 20 have been performed for three periods.

• If the movement was performed with the arms extended and the 20 counts completed, the motion should be gin again at 5 counts with the hands then clasped behind the neck.
• When the 20 counts have been done with the hands clasped behind the neck, a light (2½ lbs.) should be held in front of the neck under the chin and the motion begun again at 5 counts.
• The usual amount of added resistance each change is approximately 2½ lbs.

Goal: Girls and women should work up to a resistance of 20 counts with the hands clasped behind the neck. Some will find that they are able to do the motion with as much as 10 lbs. held in front of the neck and when this is possible additional benefit will be had.

Boys and men should work up to a resistance of 25 lbs. in front of the neck, performed for the 20 counts.

Results: This movement strengthens all the muscles of the abdominal area but particularly the front abdominal muscles. When the motion requires more effort, the muscles in the side walls of the waist are brought into action more strongly.

Comments: It is more difficult to do these movements on the inclined board than it is on the floor. There is also a greater tendency to go completely back on the board till the head and shoulders touch the board.

This should not be done . . . it is most important that the trunk go back only as far as necessary for the lower back to touch the board. When the low back touches, the sitting position should be regained with no relaxation of the contraction of the waist muscles.

If the head and shoulders are permitted to touch the board, we activate too much forward pull on the lumbar spine by the deep psoas muscles.

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Love Handles – How To Get Rid of Love Handles

With such a cute name, it’s almost surprising that anybody wants to get rid of love handles. Lots of people like them in their partner because it gives them something to get a hold of, hence the name.

But you are much less likely to love your own love handles. That extra roll of fat above the hips can be unsightly and even dangerous.

If you can grab hold of some fat at your sides between the waist and the hips, then you could be said to have love handles.

Either men or women can have them and it usually goes with carrying a little excess fat all over the body.

So if you want to know how to get rid of love handles, the answer, as you may have guessed, is diet and exercise.

Diet to Get Rid of Love Handles

Any kind of diet that results in losing fat is going to help get rid of love handles. It is not possible to follow a diet that will get rid of fat in certain areas.

You will find that you lose it all over. It may come off faster in some parts of the body but this depends on your body type.

Concentrate on losing your excess fat so that you are closer to the ideal BMI (body mass index) for your height. You can do this most easily by eating more non-starchy vegetables to fill the stomach while cutting down on fat and sugar. Try to switch from refined grains to whole grains too.

Exercise to Get Rid of Love Handles

When it comes to exercise, you can target specific areas of the body, of course. To get rid of love handles you will want to concentrate on the core, that is the abdomen and lower back.

The oblique crunch is a great exercise for working on the side of the abdominal musclesadn should help to get rid of love handles to target the spare tire of fat on either side of the belly. Dumb bell side bends are another good exercise for this area.

Working on the shoulders will give a better overall shape to the body. Stronger shoulders on either a man or a woman will draw the attention away from the midsection and make your spare tire seem smaller even if it is not.

Cardio to Get Rid of Love Handles

At the same time you do need to do some cardio and improve overall fitness. There is no point in developing firm, toned muscles if they are still hidden under a layer of fat. Cardiovascular exercise such as running or cycling will improve the body’s fat metabolism,

If fat on the lower back and at the sides is a real problem for you, and you have worked on your body with success in other areas but cannot get rid of those pesky love handles, then as a last option you might consider liposuction. This is a procedure that sucks fat out of the body.

Exercise and diet are the best bet. If you have tried everything then look seriously at your overall lifestyle to see what you can do to change to get rid of love handles.

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Muscle and joint fitness – JCR Test

Motor fitness is a more inclusive term than physical fitness.

Physical fitness combines strength, stamina, and cardiovascular reserve. Motor fitness includes these and adds agility, balance, “explosive” power, and speed. This concept has more limited value for the sportsman but approaches an even higher level of general fitness. Because more parameters are measured, these tests tend to become increasingly complex and complicated.

This concept has more limited value for the sportsman but approaches an even higher level of general fitness. Because more parameters are measured, these tests tend to become increasingly complex and complicated.

Introducing the JCR Test

Perhaps the simplest of these is the JCR Test. This is intended to assess basic motor skills such as jumping, chinning, running, and dodging which presumably require power, stamina, speed, and agility.

The J of JCR stands for the vertical jump. This is performed by having the subject stand erect, reaching as high as he can without standing on tiptoes, and making a mark
the wall.

Is Running Healthy

Next, he squats down and then leaps as high as he canmaking another mark on the wall. The distance between the two chalk marks is recorded.

The C is for chinning. With palms facing forward, the subject grasps a bar above his head. He then chins himself as many times as possible, making sure that his elbows are straight before each chin. Wiggling, kicking, and jerking are not allowed.

Running accounts for the R in JCR. This is a hundred-yard shuttle run. The subject runs a ten-yard course ten timesback and forth between two walls ten yards apart. His time is then measured in seconds.

In all types of fitness measurements, experts generally deplore self-testing. Unintentionally the subject may count partial movements as complete. Or the ability to time oneself may be askew.

However, these objections do not apply to sportsmen provided that they always perform the test in the same manner, under the same conditions, and are measuring for comparisonimprovement or deterioration. The sportsman competes only against himself in fitness tests; he is not concerned with what other individuals or other groups can or cannot do. He is checking his own progress.

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Stretching to Prevent Injuries

Stretching is a great way of stopping or at least doing a large part in the prevention of sports injuries. The simple act of stretching will give you more benefits than simply cutting your risk or injury it will also help you to gain muscle, agility and coordination.

I have stressed in the past that stretching is very useful but here is an article that I found that gives you even more reason to stretch everyday.

Overcoming & Preventing Sports Injury

If you’re involved in the health & fitness industry, whether it be participating in your favourite sport, coaching, training or just keeping fit, you’ll know how annoying and debilitating a sports injury can be.

In reality, when you have a sports injury you’re actually losing on two fronts. Firstly, you’re losing simply because your body has been hurt and now needs time and care to repair itself. And on top of this, you’re also losing the time you could have been putting into training and improving your sporting ability.

A sports injury is a bit like losing money.

Not only do you lose whatever you were going to buy with that money, but you also have to work hard to make up the money you’ve lost.

Take it from me, a sports injury is one of the most frustrating and debilitating occurrences that can happen to anyone who’s serious about their health, fitness, sport or exercise.

I recently read an article titled “Managing Sports Injuries” where the author estimated that over 27,000 American’s sprain their ankle every day. (and, no, that’s not a typo, EVERY DAY) On top of this, Sports Medicine Australia estimates that 1 in every 17 participants of sport and exercise are injured playing their favourite sport.

This figure is even higher for contact sports like Football and Gridiron. However, the truly disturbing fact is that up to 50 percent of these injuries may have been prevented.

Stretching is the Professionals Secret Weapon

While there are a number of basic preventative measures that will assist in the prevention of sports injury, there is one technique that has slowly been gaining in popularity.

It’s still not used as often as it should be by the average sports participant, but with the professionals using it more and more, it’s only a matter of time before it starts to catch on.

Before we dive into this little-used technique for minimizing your likelihood of sports injury, let’s take a quick look at some other techniques to help you prevent sports injury.

How Do You Start Stretching?

Most people are coming to understand both the importance and the benefits of a good warm-up. A correct warm-up will help to raise body temperature, increase blood flow and promote oxygen supply to the muscles.

It will also help to prepare the mind, body, muscles and joints for the physical activity to come.

While warming-up is important, a good cool-down also plays a vital role in helping to prevent sports injury. How?

A good cool-down will prevent blood from pooling in your limbs.

It will also prevent waste products, such as lactic acid, building up in your muscles. Not only that, a good cool-down will help your muscles and tendons to relax and loosen, stopping them from becoming stiff and tight.

While preventative measures such as warming-up and cooling-down play a vital role in minimizing the likelihood of sports injury, other techniques such as obeying the rules, using protective equipment and plain common sense are all useful.

Stretching is The One Technique that Cuts Your Chance of Injury in Half

So what is this magic stretching technique? The real question is, how dedicated have you been to making this technique of stretching a consistent part of your athletic preparation?

 

Yes, stretching. The simple technique of stretching can play an imperative role in helping you to prevent the occurrence of sports injury.

Unfortunately stretching is one area of athletic preparation often neglected. Do not underestimate its benefits. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that something as simple as stretching won’t be effective.

Stretching is a vital part of any exercise program and should be looked upon as being as important as any other part of your health and fitness.

In recent times, professionals have been getting more and more serious about stretching and ultimately, their flexibility. The coaches and trainers are just starting to realize how important flexible muscles are to helping prevent sports injury.

Flexibility has often been neglected in the overall conditioning of modern athletes. It’s only now that its benefits are proving invaluable to all those serious about staying injury free.

How Does Stretching Prevent Injury?

One of the greatest benefits of stretching is that you’re able to increase the length of both your muscles and tendons. This leads to an increased range of movement, which means your limbs and joints can move further before an injury occurs. Let’s take a look at a few examples.

If the muscles in your neck are tight and stiff this limits your ability to look behind or turn your head around.

If for some reason your head is turned backwards, past its’ normal range of movement, in a football scrum or tackle for example, this could result in a muscle tear or strain.

You can help to prevent this from happening by increasing the flexibility, and the range of movement, of the muscles and tendons in your neck.

And what about the muscles in the back of your legs? The Hamstring muscles. These muscles are put under a huge strain when doing any sort of sport which involves running and especially for sports which require kicking.

Short, tight hamstring muscles can spell disaster for many sports people. By ensuring these muscles are loose and flexible, you’ll cut your chance of a hamstring injury dramatically.

How else can stretching help? While injuries can occur at any time, they are more likely to occur if the muscles are fatigued, tight and depleted of energy.

Fatigued, tight muscles are also less capable of performing the skills required for your particular sport or activity. Stretching can help to prevent an injury by promoting recovery and decreasing soreness. Stretching ensures that your muscles and tendons are in good working order.

The more conditioned your muscles and tendons are, the better they can handle the rigors of sport and exercise, and the less likely that they’ll become injured.

So as you can see, there’s more to stretching than most people think. Stretching is a simple and effective activity which will help you to enhance your athletic performance, decrease your likelihood of sports injury and minimise muscle soreness.

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Exercises for Women Using Hand Weights

Handweights for women are a great way to get a good workout. Women can develop osteoporosis or bone loss as they age.

Fortunately, resistance training or strength training can help prevent osteoporosis. It is not necessary to lift heavy weights to keep the bones and joints strong.

Exercises with handweights for women will result in stronger bones and muscles.

Hand Weights For Women

Women who are just starting their strength training program can exercise with light handweights or dumbbells weighing between 2 to 5 pounds.

As your strength develops, you can gradually increase the to between 5 and 20 pounds.

When working with lighter hand weights, women can do 10 to 15 repetitions. As you increase the poundage, you can do 8 to 12 reps. This will help prevent injury while you build your muscles and bones.

Proper Form

Women who are exercising with handweights should always maintain proper form and technique. This is true regardless of the poundage.

Your back should be straight and the stomach should be pulled in. When standing, remember not to lock your knees. Work with handweights that are appropriate for you.

If you have to swing your body for momentum when lifting the weight, it means your weights are too heavy.

Exercises with Hand Weights for Women

Women can do exercises with small handweights to improve muscle tone and built stronger bones and joints. Here are some workout routines using small handweights for women.

Walking Lunge

Women can do the walking lunge to tone and develop the hamstrings, quads and glutes. This exercise also tones the inner thighs and legs.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms straight down holding the weights. Step your right foot forward and bend both knees.

Keep your upper body straight and point your left knee down. Keep your arms and weights at your sides.

Straighten your legs and return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise with the other leg.

Overhead Tricep Extension

This exercise is done while holding a dumbbell between both hands. The exercise may be done while standing or sitting down.

With elbows bent, hold a dumbbell vertically behind your head.

Keep your elbows squeezed toward your head. Slowly lift the dumbbell over your head without moving your elbows forward. Lower the dumbbell to the starting position. Repeat.

Biceps Curl

The biceps curl requires handweights and allows women to exercise the upper arms or biceps.

The exercise can be done while standing or sitting. Hold a hand or dumbbell in each hand and let your arms hang straight down at your sides.

While keeping your elbows close to your side, lift the dumbbell up to your shoulder. Slowly lower the hand back to the starting position. Repeat.

There are many other exercises with handweights for women, such as fly, hammer curl, shoulder lift, preacher curl, and many more.

Don’t forget to do some stretching before and after strength training exercises using your handweights for women to reduce the risk of injury.

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