Any advice for warming up / strengthening lower back?

[StoneDog]

Hi All,

I seem to have inherited lower back problems from my father and his. The training sessions at my school don't really involve a lower back warmup and I find I'm wrecked if we focus on spinning kicks and other moves that twist the lower back.

Can anyone recommend some ways I can a) warm up the lower back before class, and b) strengthen it without putting unnecessary stress on it?

Thanks,

Jon

[Johnno]

StoneDog,

I have exactly the same problem, and I have to warm my back up before doing any sort of practise at all.

My warm-up routine at home is like this:

1. Rotate the hips in wide circles. Slowly at first, then gradualy more vigourously. Four or five circles one way, then the other, alternating.

2. Reach one arm up in a straight line, then stretch to the side, keeping the ehad as upright as possible. Alternate sides.

3. Stand with legs shoulder-width apart and raise both arms above head, one on top of the other. Bend backwards as far as is comfortable and hold it there. Then squat down and stretch forwards (keeping hands together at all times.) Alternate. (This one is good for warming up the knees too!)

4. Repeat 1.

5. Stretch the hamstrings. This seems to help with lower back pain, especially when kicking - although I don't really understand the mechanics of it.)

6. Repeat 1 again.

They are all excercises which I've done in class, and most of them we do every time as part of our warm-up. Plus I do extra ones at the beginning because I'm extra-creaky!

[wazzabi]

do back extensions. lie flat on the floor with your belly touching the ground and your feet crossed, legs straight back. also put your hands behind your back, or head. you might want someone or something holding your feet down. then raise your chest as high as you can. do 10 to start out with, but if you find it easy, do 20. keep building up the number of reps you can do to strengthen your back.

[Combatant]

Kettlebell (substitute for a dumbell) swings are great for warming up the back. As for strengthening it deadlifts, squats, and dorsal raises should form the main part of your strength programme with plenty of supplemental core work. All that together with plenty of stretching and you may find your problem eases.

Also, if your dads bad back is due to an injury then it is impossible for you to inherit it off him. Can you think of the time your back problems started- poor posture perhaps?

[RAB]

StoneDog,

You should see a professional regarding your lower back. From a functional trainer perspective I have seen a lot of people with lower back problems that are actual caused by muscle disfunction or joint displacement.

In regard to warm-ups try y's and t's by laying flat on your stomach and arch your back. You are activating the spinal extenor muscles. From move on to a craddle stretch. These are all safe exercises to do. And I'm sure you can find a better discription on the internet, somewhere.

What exactly is your inherited problem?

[StoneDog]

Thanks for the help everyone. I took a couple of weeks off but got back into it this last week. It came right back. The issue for me is the lower right area on or just above the hip but below the kidney area.

I don't know exactly what I've inherited, just that both my father and grandfather developed a slight hunch or slouch and both have seen doctors about their lower backs (one required surgery). In fact, it's uncomfortable for me to stand straight with my head up and I'm only 33 (but that's upper back).

Not sure what a "Y" and "T" are. Is it easy to describe or do you know any sites that might list them?

Jon

[Songi]

going to heed some of the advice given here. I aswell have lower back problems.
sometimes it gets really painfull to. the other day i was chopping firewood and had to stop so many times because of back pain.

[RAB]

Here is a site I googled

http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/exercise/exercises/yti.html

I perfer to hold the position before attempting sets/reps. Start with what you can (5 seconds) and work your way to 30 seconds per exercise, once at day.

When I'm assisting athlete, before I recommend an exercise, I do a physical assessment. Here are a number of things I would look for based on what you have told me.

1. Check the heel of your right shoe. Does the sole rub off towards the right?

2. When the are standing. Does your right foot/toes point outwarded?

3. Are you shoulders aligned or does your right shoulder slightly lift up?

4. When you stand on a single leg, does your hip kick out the right?

5. When you stand on a single leg, is it more difficult to keep your balance more on the right leg than left leg. (Normally martial artist don't have this issue because they naturally adjust their balance).

[StoneDog]

Here is a site I googled

http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/exercise/exercises/yti.html

I perfer to hold the position before attempting sets/reps. Start with what you can (5 seconds) and work your way to 30 seconds per exercise, once at day.

When I'm assisting athlete, before I recommend an exercise, I do a physical assessment. Here are a number of things I would look for based on what you have told me.

1. Check the heel of your right shoe. Does the sole rub off towards the right?

2. When the are standing. Does your right foot/toes point outwarded?

3. Are you shoulders aligned or does your right shoulder slightly lift up?

4. When you stand on a single leg, does your hip kick out the right?

5. When you stand on a single leg, is it more difficult to keep your balance more on the right leg than left leg. (Normally martial artist don't have this issue because they naturally adjust their balance).

1) Yes, it does

2) Both feet do slightly, isn't this normal?

3) As far as I can tell they are aligned.

4) No, not really

5) No real difference between legs

Jon

[RAB]

It doesn't sound like you have a back problem. A proper warm-up like the back extentions and stretching the focuses on the lower back and hip region should be your solution.

I found this website regarding stretching that will be helpful.

http://exercise.about.com/cs/flexibility/l/blstretch.htm

[StoneDog]

It doesn't sound like you have a back problem. A proper warm-up like the back extentions and stretching the focuses on the lower back and hip region should be your solution.

I found this website regarding stretching that will be helpful.

http://exercise.about.com/cs/flexibility/l/blstretch.htm


Ahh, that's what I was looking for. Thanks!

The only thing we do as a class that's listed there are the inner thight stretches (we call them butterfly stretches).

[JSKdan]

A very good book or video/DVD is by Tom Kurz's /Stretching Scientifically Book. from Amazon ), Secrets of stretching (DVD/video) .
The book will help you with telling you how to and what not to do, I have both and they have helped me

[tankboy]

i have found squats and deadlifts have really helped my back, i was very nervous about starting so started very very light (just the bar!) working on form and gradually built up, sticking within what i felt comfortable doing. About a month into this program, I have built up to a 50kg squat and 40kg deadlife.My back is feeling a lot better now, i feel agile again!

I will stress again tho, build up SLOWLY, i started with the bar and only added 2.5 kgs per workout. As you are doing the exercises, be LISTENING TO YOUR BODY. I used to lift before tho (8 years ago was the last time i was in the gym mind) so i knew the techniques with a bit of a refresher, if you dont know correct technique get someone knowledgeable to help you at the beginning.

I am also working on Kurtz program, lots of people swear by it tho only a month in so i cant really comment. Certainly tho i FEEL much better than when all i was doing was running and capoeira.

Hope that helps, good luck with it.

PS if you have real pain, see a doctor. Mine proscribed antiinflamartories that helped a great deal, then i started the weights once the pain was gone. That said, my doctor told me my spine is too straight and i may always be susceptible to back pain - but weight training has really helped, i have no pain at all now (touch wood!) so be aware that doctors dont necessarily have all the answers when it comes to backs.

[StoneDog]

The stretches that RAB suggested seem to help a bit. I think my issues are muscel related, not joint, nerve or bone. After I'm away from class for a few days it clears up, but then last night I did a "flying front kick" (no clue what it's called in other styles) and wrenched it again.

Worth noting are the hip stretch, 90-90 and spinal twist stretches (although I've had another trainer tell me not to take the knee all the way to the floor on the spinal stretch).

I'm carrying around an extra twenty pounds (1 1/2 stone?) that doesn help with either the back or the knees. I'll keep with these stretches before class and will work on strengthening the lower back as everyone has suggested.

Thanks again, this place is a great resource and you guys are fantastic!

Jon