Exercises That May Be Causing Your Lower Back Pain

If you are experiencing low back pain, it is crucial to understand the risks and benefits of staying active. Identifying which activities and exercises to avoid can prevent further strain on your back, while incorporating safe stretches and exercises can help in managing pain.

Activities that involve heavy lifting, high impact, or prolonged sitting should be minimized to prevent aggravating the condition. Instead, focus on low-impact exercises like swimming or walking.

We have created a guide below that provides valuable information on these topics to help you manage your low back pain better.

Why Does Your Back Hurt After Working Out?

Back pain after a workout is a common issue that many people experience. It can occur due to multiple reasons, including muscle strain, poor posture, or incorrect exercise techniques. Muscle strain is one of the most common causes of back pain after a workout. When you exercise, your muscles are stressed, leading to tiny tears in the muscle fibers. These tears can cause soreness and stiffness, leading to pain in the back. 

Poor posture during exercise can also cause back pain. Lifting weights or performing exercises with incorrect posture can place undue pressure on your back muscles and lead to strain. It is important to maintain proper form during exercises to avoid this issue. 

Another cause of back pain after working out is incorrect exercise techniques. Some exercises, such as deadlifts or squats, require proper form and technique to avoid injury. If you are not doing them correctly, it can lead to back pain and other injuries. It is essential to seek guidance from a professional trainer to learn the correct form and technique when performing these exercises. 

In addition to these reasons, some underlying medical conditions, such as herniated discs or spinal stenosis, can cause back pain after working out.

Remedies for relief

When experiencing lower back pain, staying active and moving is essential. Regular walking is an excellent therapeutic method for relieving back pain. According to Gillanders, it is an easily accessible option that is often overlooked. Research studies have revealed that walking can enhance pain levels, quality of life, and disablement and reduce fear avoidance among individuals with chronic low back pain.

To alleviate low back pain, whether acute or chronic, it is recommended to use either a cold pack or a heating pad to release tension in the lower back.

 

 

Furthermore, engaging in diaphragmatic breathing can also be beneficial. According to Alex Garreau, a physical therapist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, practicing slow and controlled breathing can help to slow down pain signals and promote a calming effect. To practice this technique, slowly inhale and allow your belly to expand with air, then exhale slowly and allow your belly to deflate.

How Exercise Helps Back Pain

Back pain is a common ailment that affects millions of people worldwide. It can range from mild discomfort to chronic pain and significantly impact a person's quality of life. While there are many treatment options for back pain, exercise has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to manage and even prevent it. 

Regular exercise helps to strengthen the muscles in the back, which can reduce the risk of injury and strain. Strong back muscles support the spine, improving posture and reducing the pressure on the spine. This, in turn, helps to alleviate pain and prevent further damage to the back. 

Exercise also helps to improve flexibility and range of motion, which can be essential for people with back pain. Stiffness and immobility in the back can worsen pain and make it challenging to perform everyday tasks. By incorporating stretching and low-impact exercises such as yoga or Pilates, individuals can increase their flexibility, reduce muscle tension, and improve their overall range of motion. 

Moreover, exercise has been proven to release endorphins, natural painkillers. These endorphins can help reduce pain perception, making it easier to manage back pain. 

6 Exercises & Activities You Should Avoid

Many factors could contribute to your lower back pain when seated. Keep reading to learn the most common ones and what changes you can make to reduce this discomfort.

1. Toe Touches

This common exercise can be a healthy way to work muscles that may otherwise not get enough attention in a mostly seated culture. However, if you have back pain and are not very flexible, it may aggravate symptoms and worsen your back pain. If you're attempting to do standing toe touches, consider sitting down for these instead, or attempt this activity with the help of a trusted friend who can observe your form and spot potential issues before they take hold.

2. Sit-Ups

Sometimes sit-ups are a good way to strengthen the abdominal core. But there is a large debate over how to do this properly. Unless you have experience with them or an experienced personal trainer helping you, you risk hurting your hips and placing significant pressure on your spinal discs - and that's never fun!

3. Leg Lifts

While this exercise can be helpful to those who already have strong core muscles, it can cause harm if you're unprepared for the more extreme physical strain you may experience. Laying on your back and lifting both legs off the ground can put a lot of strain not just on your core but also on your back, shoulders, and neck.

This should be accomplished by someone who has already been cycling regularly for at least a few months or has been doing exercises like Pilates or yoga, as well as physical activities like boot camp and cross fit.

4. Running and Jumping

Running and jumping aren't exactly the most comfortable movements. Joggers tend to put a lot of pressure on their ankles, knees, hips, and lower back from running and jumping repeatedly. Biking is a much more efficient way of exercising, as it allows one to not only build up endurance but also tone muscle. All you need are two wheels and some pedals!

5. Golf and Tennis

Active lifestyles are a great thing that most people find fun and fulfilling, but there is one thing that always comes along with being active throughout your daily routine, and it's a pain in the back.

It makes sense; your back has to take most of the pressure from you, and by not treating it well enough or properly warming up for your event, excessive movements and bending can cause serious problems. So be sure to ask someone who knows what they're doing regarding this stuff, like a doctor, for example!

6. Heavy Lifting

When it comes to dealing with your back, there are many things you have to consider. Whether at work or the gym, doing activities that involve heavy lifting while bending over can cause extreme strain on your muscles and even compression on your vertebrae.

When carrying something like a bag of groceries, for example, make sure you bend your knees when this happens. For whatever reason, we hope you avoid lifting heavy objects and always focus on not keeping weighty products up with your shoulders, as often this can lead to long-term trouble regarding your back.

Tips for Avoiding Lower Back Pain During Your Workout

Being gentle and safe with yourself is the key to having a healthy back. To do this, you must incorporate some of these tips into your next workout unless you are caring for an injury or other condition that might make these tips unnecessary.

Always Warm Up Before Exercises

The key to working out without hurting your back is staying fit. The key to being fit is stretching correctly before any workout. Stretching for 10 to 15 minutes warms up the muscles, making them more pliable and less likely to strain or sprain under pressure.

Make Sure Your Form is Correct

The best and most effective way to safeguard your body while exercising is to do it with the guidance of an expert. It would help if you always had a trainer when working out, but only some people can afford personal trainers all day. That is why those without a personal trainer must know about some exercise guides that could help keep us from hurting ourselves as we pursue healthier lifestyles.

Focus on Engaging the Core

Working your core muscles by using your body weight effectively builds stability and strength in the r back. This can offer support and prevent future pain or problems due to a lack of flexibility.

Take Care of Fatigued Muscles After Your Workout

Following a hard workout session at the gym, make sure to cool down by doing a gentle series of stretches and massages. A cold pack or soothing herbal heating pad can then be used to relieve any lingering soreness or lower back pain, in addition to helping your body realign after a tough trip to the gym.

Don’t Work Through the Pain

When exercising, it's important to push your body beyond its normal limits but not beyond the point of pain. One way to know if you're overdoing it or doing too much is to accurately recognize and identify the different kinds of pain you might experience while exercising. For example, a sense of warm muscle aches are common side effect when working out, but feeling a sharp stinging sensation around the lower back area during exercise can indicate an underlying problem that needs to be taken care of as soon as possible.

If you feel this sharp or stinging back pain during exercise, please stop what you're doing for the day and see a doctor about the clinical cause so that you can begin addressing it appropriately before causing further damage. Exercise is good for your health, but there's no need to take unnecessary risks with any intense workout program just because there are visible results at this moment!

Gradually Building Back Strength

When to see a Doctor?

Lower back pain is a common issue that can be caused by various factors. However, it's important to be aware of certain red flags that could indicate a more serious underlying condition. If you experience radiating pain down one of your legs, numbness, weakness, or tingling in one or both legs, or changes in your bowel or bladder function along with lower back pain, it's crucial to promptly seek medical attention.

These symptoms could be caused by compression in the spinal cord or nerve compression, which requires immediate treatment. Stacey Cladis, a physical therapist at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, advises calling your doctor right away if you have these symptoms. Additionally, if the pain persists for more than a week or interferes with your daily activities, it's recommended to see a doctor for proper evaluation and treatment.