Exercising With Back Pain
I started getting lower back pain when I was pregnant with my first child. When you are pregnant, as your uterus expands, there is a shift in your “normal” posture. As this happens the abdominal muscles weaken. Your abdominal muscles and back muscles work together, and both have to be strong to keep your trunk upright. As the position of the abdominals shift the back muscles get strained and the bottom half of your spine takes the brunt of the shift, compressing and curving! This often results in lower back pain!
When my son was born the pain lessened but it would come right back if I tried to do any crunches or other exercises that put stress on my lower back. The pain was so bad that I stopped strength training completely and just did extended periods of cardio, like long walks or the treadmill!
This made me lose my baby weight fast but I had no strength in my core and my back pain got worse.
Before I could take care of this problem I was pregnant again and this time the back pain got really bad during my pregnancy, to the extent that a simple bend to pick up my sons toy from the floor would be excruciatingly painful!
My OP-GYN recommended physical therapy when I was about 3 months post partum and that was when I was introduced to the “Plank” for the first time. I couldn’t hold a plank for more than 10 seconds when I started but I got stronger as I practiced it and I could feel my abdominal muscles tighten up and support my back.
Plank based exercises helped me to completely get rid of back pain and also to get a strong tight core without putting any pressure on my lower back!
I now incorporate them in my workout routine all the time and the best part is that there are so many different ways to modify them and make them more challenging depending on your fitness level!
The “Plank” is great exercise as it works multiple body parts at the same time. You are engaging you abdominals, lower back, quadriceps, hamstrings and shoulders in this one exercise. It does not strain your back like crunches do and is the most effective way to tighten your core and strength your back!
I want to share some of my favorite Plank based exercises with you!
1.High Plank
– Lie down on your stomach with your palms by your chest and your toes tucked in. Press up to top of a push up.
– Your body is now parallel to the floor. Engage your core and glutes. Keep your chin tucked in and maintain a neutral spine.
– For a beginner, told the plank for 30 seconds. As you increase strength you can hold the plank up to 2 minutes or longer.
2.Grasshopper Plank
– Get into a basic high plank.
– Make sure your core and glutes are engaged. Then move your knee to your opposite elbow.
– Repeat on the other side to complete one rep. Try to do as many reps as you can for 30 – 60 seconds.
3.Moving Plank/ Plank Shimmie
– Get into a basic high plank.
– Engage your core and glutes.
– Move in a forward – backward motion without compromising your form.