There was an interesting study published recently in the American College of Sports Medicine journal that looked at how strength training reduces or eliminates back pain. The study looked at 240 men and women who didn’t have any major problems with their backs such as injuries to the vertebrae or surgery etc. but they did have back pain associated with muscular injuries, I’ve had a few clients come to me with this type of problem before. Normally people with back pain take pain killers and rest, but rest causes muscles to become weakened and if you stay in bed they will become stiff. In this study people who had back pain started a strengthening program exercising the back, chest and legs. Back pain was reduced and strength increased through all three exercises which is an important factor worth considering. By strengthening the muscles in your body you can then tolerate daily physical activities much better and fatigue will not be produced as quickly. Stress will not be placed on your back if your legs are strong and your upper body is strong.
The take home message from this study is that if you injure the muscles in your back do not stop exercising. Keep strengthening the major muscle groups with lighter weights and lower repetitions and progress throughout the weeks. Obviously you wouldn’t start lifting heavy weights with a back injury, the key is progression.
No comments:
Post a Comment