10 Popular Exercises That Can Hurt Your Back
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Overview
Back pain is a major
issue for many. If you haven’t yet experienced it, odds are you will.
According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, 75 to 85
percent of Americans will experience back pain during their lifetimes.
Many cases are attributed to mechanical stress and strain, says as
Gunnar Andersson, M.D., professor and chairman emeritus of the
Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center in
Chicago. On top of that, if you’re doing exercises that place more
stress on your back due to improper technique, back pain is even more
likely to occur. So make sure that doesn’t happen by checking your form
on the following popular exercises -- some of which are actually
prescribed to help ease back pain -- or eliminate them completely from
your workout if you’re more prone to back pain. There’s never one right
or one wrong exercise for any individual or situation, especially for
someone who experiences back pain. If you ever experience back pain (not
just muscle soreness) during a workout, it’s important that you stop
doing that exercise and consult your doctor or physical therapist. And
if you’re ever unsure of how to do an exercise properly, hiring a
personal trainer for even one session can save your back from future
pain.
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1. Superman
Sometimes an exercise that’s designed to help
strengthen the back is actually doing more harm than good. DON’T DO
THIS: In the case of the superman, when you lie on your stomach and
reach your hands and feet toward the ceiling, you are putting your spine
into a position of hyperextension. While this may strengthen the
extensors of the back, a 2000 review in the British Journal of Sports
Medicine found that spondylolysis and other conditions were closely
associated with overusing back-extensor muscles, especially in an
athletic population. DO THIS INSTEAD: Instead of performing the superman
exercise, do a plank (more on this later). A proper plank will help to
strengthen the muscles of the core and back from a neutral position, not
a position of unwanted hyperextension.
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2. Glute Bridge
The glute bridge is another example of an
exercise that is commonly prescribed to help ease back pain, but if done
incorrectly it can contribute to lower-back pain, says Conrad Stalheim,
D.C., an Iowa-based chiropractor and CSCS. DON’T DO THIS: When you
simply lift your hips without focusing on your core and glute muscles,
it’s likely you’ll use the hamstrings and lower back to perform the
exercise. And many times at the top of the bridge we allow our lower
back to arch or hyperextend. This can lead to overuse and lower-back
pain. DO THIS INSTEAD: Lying on your back with your knees bent so your
heels are a few inches from your hips, focus on keeping your core
engaged and driving through your heels as you contract your glutes to
bridge your hips off the ground. Keep your back from overarching at the
top by contracting your abs and keeping the hips from tipping forward.
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3. Plank
The plank is an outstanding exercise to
activate the core that will help to protect the back from overuse and
pain. But bad form will always ruin even the best of exercises. DON’T DO
THIS: Planks can lead to back pain when you allow your hips to sag or
rotate or your upper back to round. In these positions, the spine is
hyperextended, rotated at the lower back or hyperflexed at the upper
back, respectively. The further the spine is from neutral, the greater
the risk of injury. Plus, when the spine and hips are out of neutral,
you’re not using your core appropriately, which minimizes the benefits
of this exercise. DO THIS INSTEAD: In the plank position, focus on
keeping your hips in line with your shoulders and ankles while not
allowing your lower back to overarch or your upper back to round.
Imagine a hot cup of coffee sitting on the lower back and another one on
the upper back -- and you mustn’t allow the cups to spill.
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4. Anti-Rotation Press
Improper rotation of the spine can be a
contributing factor to back pain and inefficient movement. The
anti-rotation press challenges your ability to maintain a neutral spine
when an outside force is trying to pull you from neutral. DON’T DO THIS:
Although you may be able to keep yourself from rotating as you push the
handle away from your chest, if you feel the exercise working the
muscles of your back rather than your core, you are not appropriately
strengthening the muscles that will help keep your back healthy. In
fact, you’re likely working toward overuse of the back. DO THIS INSTEAD:
To ensure that the anti-rotation press is helping rather than hurting,
make sure to contract your abdominals so you feel the tension in the abs
and not the back. Keep the lower back from arching, and work to keep
the hips from rotating as well. It helps to imagine a set of headlights
on your hips that you have to keep pointed forward.
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5. Push-Up
At the most basic level, the push-up is a
dynamic plank. For that reason, all of the same considerations during
the plank apply to the push-up. However, push-ups challenge these
considerations to a greater degree, as you now have to control them
during an upper-body movement. DON’T DO THIS: When the hips sag and
rotate or the upper back is allowed to excessively round, there is an
increased potential for back injury. It’s typical for these movement
flaws to occur at the transition points (starting the descent or coming
out of the bottom of the push-up). DO THIS INSTEAD: Try pausing at both
the top and bottom of the push-up. Focus on the position and correct if
necessary to ensure that you’re not only decreasing the potential for
back injury, but also reaping the full benefits of the push-up. It’s
often beneficial to perform push-ups in front of a mirror, so you can
check your position when you pause.
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6. Squat and Deadlift
While the squat and deadlift are different
exercises, when considering the potential for back injury, similar
technique flaws must be addressed. DON’T DO THIS: When you squat or
deadlift, if your spine rounds and extends repeatedly, especially under
weight, there is a higher potential for back injury. DO THIS INSTEAD: To
prevent this from happening, make sure that the shoulder blades are
kept from being pulled around the ribcage, hunching your shoulders and
rounding your back. This will help to ensure that the upper back is kept
in a good position. Next, coming up from the bottom of both exercises,
make sure not to lead the movement with the chest, but instead focus on
driving the hips forward. Leading with the chest causes a false swooping
motion, many times resulting in excessive arching in the lower back.
This will eventually lead to an overuse injury. In both cases, focus on
keeping the abdominals tight and moving the weight through the hips, not
the back.
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7. Lunges
Whether you’re performing a forward, reverse
or lateral lunge, the same considerations for your form apply. DON’T DO
THIS: Allowing the upper back to round and the lower back to overarch,
especially when coming up from the bottom of the movement, will cause
issues. In addition, allowing the knees to cave inward is not a good way
to keep the back healthy. When the knees collapse inward, there’s a
chain effect that places more stress on the hips and low back. DO THIS
INSTEAD: If your goal is to target your lower body, contract your
abdominals and keep your spine from moving out of neutral alignment.
Concentrate instead on moving through the hips and keeping the knees in
line with the middle toe.
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8. Pull-Up or Inverted Row
While you may think that upper-body exercises
like the pull-up and inverted row would have little to do with back
pain, a common flaw with both is overextending the lower back. DON’T DO
THIS: As you initiate the pull in both exercises, there’s a tendency for
the hips to pop forward, creating an excessive arch in the lower back.
Taking this all the way to the top places an unnatural amount of stress
on the spine, which can lead to pain and injury. DO THIS INSTEAD: To
prevent this from happening, bring your knees slightly in front of your
hips during the pull-up. For the inverted row, focus on keeping your
hips behind your shoulders and feet. Both of these cues help to decrease
the extension force placed on the lower back and will help prevent pain
and injury.
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9. Sled Push
The sled push is great for full-body
conditioning and places less stress on the body because you can remove
the eccentric action (lengthening/actively lowering) and make this more
of an isometric (static) exercise. It’s the eccentric portion of any
exercise that usually creates the most muscular damage and soreness.
DON’T DO THIS: While the sled push is a good choice for a high-intensity
exercise that is lower stress, when you let your hips shift side to
side or allow the lower back to arch while pushing, you are at a higher
risk for back injuries. DO THIS INSTEAD: To make the most out of the
sled push and to keep your back healthy, imagine a line between the feet
as you push. Do not allow your feet to cross the line as you push. Also
make sure that the lower back is not overarching by focusing on keeping
your abs engaged throughout the entire push.
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10. Battle Ropes
A workout gaining a lot of popularity is the
battle ropes. Like the sled push, when performed by someone without
proper technique training, the battle ropes can result in back pain,
soreness or injury. The goal when performing any exercise on the battle
ropes should be to limit motion at the trunk. DON’T DO THIS: When there
is excess motion of the trunk, the back is likely to be compromised.
Simply focusing on moving the ropes quickly many times results in
excessive motion at the hips and spine. DO THIS INSTEAD: To prevent this
from happening, first obtain a solid starting position -- whether that
is in a squat, athletic stance or static lunge position. From there,
keep your abs engaged and envision yourself as a statue from your hips
to your rib cage. Keep your hips from swiveling and spine from moving as
you move the ropes up and down.
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What Do YOU Think?
Do you have back pain? What exercises do you
avoid? Have you ever modified an exercise to make it more back-friendly?
Are there any exercises you do to safely strengthen your back? Share
your suggestions and questions in the comments section below.
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