Good exercises for the back?

[Unota]

Hello~ Good afternoon. It has been a little while. I've made quite a few friends in real life, so I've wandered off for a bit, as they've fulfilled my desires for some social interaction. I thought about asking the person I am closest to about this, but, since I've neglected saying hello here in a little while, I've decided to come back here instead. (I also don't want to trouble her with something so silly, when there's already so much to talk about all the time. Our conversations already feel like study sessions, haha.)

 

I do a lot of exercise, hauling, lifting things, along with bending around a lot while doing chores. Especially now that it is winter and I need to maintain a good supply of wood for the wood-stove, I've really been weighed down by carrying a lot of heavy wood. It really does a number on my back! I know quite a few yoga stretches to help with this, but it takes some searching to find one that hits the 'right spot' and decompresses what needs to be decompressed. I'd like to learn a few others, so that maybe some day I can build up a small routine to really wring myself out like a rag, hahaha. I've found that of the few basic qigong motions that I know, one of those even helps pop and stretch my back in a place that I have a lot of trouble. So, from basic physical stretches to yoga and even qigong, if you've personally experienced that any in particular have helped provide some relief in your back, please recommend them to me, so that I can research them a bit.

[thelerner]

I've had back problems in the past.  Last couple years its been pretty good.  

I credit doing a few deep squats in the morning as very helpful.  I grab the sink for stability and squat as low as I can, stay there, shift my butt a little, get up and repeat 3 to 5 times.  Somehow the relaxed deep squat sit has allowed me to touch my toes for the first time.  

 

In Michael Winns Fundamentals one of the moves really helped, -Crossing the Ocean.  Simple short Chi gung movement. You stand like a person about to do a racing dive, legs bent, bending forward at the waist, arms straightened infront of you.  You straighten up and your arms move like they were paddling water behind you.  Then you get back into the 'dive' position and repeat a dozen or so times.  Perhaps more easily seen than written.  In any case the rhythmic bending and motion usually made my back feel better.

 

My final tool is Spoonk mat (there are many other on the market).  Like a yoga mat for sadists, it has 1,000s of little ¼ inch plastic spikes on it.  Lying down causes a bit of discomfort, even pain at the beginning but as you lay, you gain nice relaxation.  A bed of nails for Westerners.  Great for when my back is acting up or I just want to get deeper relaxation.  

[liminal_luke]

I haven't done it personally (no back pain yet!) but foundation training gotten high reviews from past Bums.  Foundation Training - Redefine Your Life Without Pain

[Bhathen]

These are some of the exercises recommended by my physiotherapist:

 

Bridge pose 

Lumbar rotations 

Side Lying clam shell

Side lying leg raise 

Half locust 

Reverse boat posture 

Sphinx posture 

Strengthening your core muscles is also important.

Edited December 4, 2023 by Bhathen

[thelerner]

The best doctor I saw for my back said ultimately strength and flexibility will be.. if not the cure, the biggest help.  

Needless to say a surgeon recommended surgery, which I didn't do.   

[Sanity Check]

Surfing could be a good back exercise. 

 

Lying on the board with back arched for long periods of time. 

 

In the weightlessness of the ocean where the spine won't absorb the full strain of it.

[EFreethought]

On 12/1/2023 at 5:15 PM, thelerner said:

In Michael Winns Fundamentals one of the moves really helped, -Crossing the Ocean.  Simple short Chi gung movement. You stand like a person about to do a racing dive, legs bent, bending forward at the waist, arms straightened infront of you.  You straighten up and your arms move like they were paddling water behind you.  Then you get back into the 'dive' position and repeat a dozen or so times.  Perhaps more easily seen than written.  In any case the rhythmic bending and motion usually made my back feel better.

 

 

The exercise done during the first minute or so of this video looks similar to your description, even though the stance is very wide. Is it similar to what you are referring to?

 

 

[thelerner]

2 hours ago, EFreethought said:

 

The exercise done during the first minute or so of this video looks similar to your description, even though the stance is very wide. Is it similar to what you are referring to?

 

 

Similar.  Not quite as wide a stance.  The knees bend a bit more.  When the hands go back, there's more sense of paddling water behind you.  It's the same big thrusting motion that's stretching muscles and fascia.  

 

nice active stretch sequence.  

[RobB]

Agreed with @thelerner about squats. These are great for back health.  I'd also put in a vote for kettlebell swings for strengthening the whole posterior chain.

 

[Vajra Fist]

I had some debilitating back pain some time ago

 

I've been doing forearm planks recently. Just three sets of 30 secs per day. 

 

It's done more for my back than anything else. Truly, having a strong core means you're more in structural alignment when bearing loads, and less likely to injure yourself.

 

I've also been trying to stretch the psoas muscles, which control anterior pelvic tilt. So deep lunges to touch the hip flexor, as well as constructive rest pose on the back.

 

 

 

 

[CityHermit!]

If you don't want to use weights, there was a standing back raise exercise that I saw a guy from WuDang do. If you are standing with your feet a little wider than shoulder width, you lower your head towards either foot, since this is an alternating exercise that you can do with each side, as if touching your toes but more like trying to reach your foot with your head, and then raise your torso back upright focusing on the lower back and lumbar area doing the work. You can do as many reps as you feel comfortable with and it can help strengthen and stretch the lower back.

Edited January 9 by CityHermit!

[Summer]

Edited January 28 by Summer

[Unota]

I keep forgetting to come back to reply to this post (because I am forgetful.) But all of these are tremendously helpful!! I love all of you! I need to bookmark this so I can write all of these down and incorporate them into my routines. This might be singlehandedly one of the most important threads on here to me so far...The 'save your back' daobums thread...revolutionary!!

 

@Vajra Fist I love forearm planks! I can do up to a minute now! I think I have a pretty okay core (At least somewhere in there, beneath where I keep all of my fig newtons.) My biggest problem is that I have weak muscles in the small of my back, and above my hips, so when I lean back or turn while carrying firewood, it puts a lot of unnecessary stress on my spine, specifically in my middle back.

 

I'm going to add a yoga pose myself that I probably wouldn't have initially correlated with this, but reverse warrior pose! It strengthens smaller muscles in your sides, which might help. That one also feels really good. Be careful not to overextend though, that is NOT going to help an already painful back.

Edited January 26 by Unota

[qin00b]

Thanks for the reminder about Foundation. Got the books coming from the library and will check out their vids. It seems the greatest impediment to my sitting meditations is back pain…I can't seem to make it past a half hour without needing to drastically switch positions. Fortunately, I've been able to not come too far out of my state during the shift to a new position, but I do feel like I'm "losing some ground." 

After getting past the back hurdle, I suspect I'll have to wrestle with the legs falling asleep, but that's a problem for a different time.