Tigard, OR Chiropractor Shares Three Back-Protecting Warm-Up Exercises

Regular physical activity is great for burning unwanted calories, keeping fit, and feeling fresh all-day. However, it won’t yield the desired results if you don’t do it right, starting with your warm-ups. Without the proper warm-up, you may suffer a variety of health problems including chronic back pain, and possibly even a serious back injury.

You can reduce the risk for these issues by performing the proper warm-up exercises to protect your back. Here are three must-do warm-up exercises for your back that comes highly recommended by your favorite Tigard, OR chiropractor.

Trunk rotations

To do trunk rotation right, stand up with your feet about one-foot apart from each other, then slowly rotate your upper body from side to side without moving the pelvis. Tighten the trunk and backside muscles as you rotate to maintain a neutral spine. Complete up to 10 repetitions on each side.

Side bends

A side bend exercise is a basic core stretching and strengthening exercise that should always be a part of your warm-up routine. To perform a side bend, take a relaxed standing position with your arms on your sides. With your right hand, slowly reach for the floor while allowing your torso to bend with the movement. When you can’t reach any further, hold the position for at least 10 seconds. Do the same with your left hand.

Prone trunk extensions

To do a proper prone trunk extension, lie face down on the floor with hands on your side and your palms facing upward. Then, slowly raise your upper body off the ground starting with your head, then shoulders, and then the chest. When you can lift no more, hold the position for five seconds. Return to starting position and repeat 10 times. To warm-up your abdomen as well, you can lift your legs up along with your head.

These three warm-up routines help you build strength while preventing your lower back from sustaining an injury during exercise. These come highly recommended by your trusted Tigard, OR chiropractor, so always start any vigorous physical activity with them. If you encounter any problems with your back before, during, or after exercise, be sure to have it checked at a chiropractic practice such as Accident Care Chiropractic to identify the cause of the problem and keep it from worsening.

Sources:

Try This Full-Body Dynamic Warm-Up to Prep for Any Workout, Greatist.com
3 Easy Stretches to Prevent Back Pain, HealthLine.com

Dr. Darren Faherty D.C.

In 2004, Dr. Darren Faherty graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology from UWEC - University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Dr. Darren continued education at the highly esteemed University of Western States (formerly Western States Chiropractic College) where he obtained his chiropractic degree in 2007. He has been helping people recover from injuries and return to their normal lifestyles ever since.