Are You Afraid to Exercise this New Year?

Well, this is my first blog. Knowing where to start is a challenge, so I thought I would address the standard New Year's Resolution of getting more exercise.

Are you one of the 80 percent of the adult population that has suffered from low back pain in their lifetime? Are you sitting behind your desk dreading your New Year's resolution because you are afraid that your low back pain with act up?
The New Year is here and there is no time like the present to think about your fitness and how it can help your low back pain. Exercise can reduce stress, improve circulation and ultimately help you maintain a heathly weight. If you are carrying around a spare tire, you are putting extra stress on your low back. The larger the distance betweeen your spine and your navel, the greater the lever arm that puts undo forces on your lumbar spine. By reducing this distance, you can greatly reduce low back pain.

If you have low back pain and you want to exercise, it is important to think about how you use your stomach muscles to reduce certain forces cause low back stresses. Core strengthening, lumbar stability exercises and motor contol patterning are all important when you are starting a fitness program. If you can keep good motor contolof your trunk muscles while exercising, you are less likely to have more low back pain and you can reap the benefits of exercise.

The position of your back during exercise is very important. Maintaining what physical therapist's call "pelvic neutral" can be the key to helping you during your fitness routine. Every person's "pelvic neutral" is different. Every person's low back pain story is different. Physical Therapist's understand the anatomy of the spine and the forces that are placed on your body specifically and how to reduce those forces with prescribed exercises.

If you have any questions about my first blog or need more information about low back pain contact Cathy Gephart PT, OCS owner of 2 Hands Physical Therapy. I specializes in individualized hands-on treatment for any musculo-skeletal condition,post operative rehabilitation, and medical massage. My contact phone number is (208)661-7167.