| Why is back pain so common among adults? Even | | | | especially if you are not sitting with your hips against |
| among adults with no history of injury or back strain, | | | | the back of your chair, your spine upright in its natural |
| low back pain especially can become a chronic | | | | curve, head held straight, neck relaxed. And of course |
| problem, mild or severe. | | | | your monitor, keyboard, mouse, arm rests are all |
| As you age, your flexibility decreases. Your long | | | | ergonomically placed perfectly. I know! Who sits like |
| muscles that allow a certain range of motion, get | | | | that? |
| shorter. Your joints begin to lose their range of motion, | | | | Allowing these muscles to retain more and more |
| and the ligaments that hold bone to bone begin to lose | | | | tension without relief, will pull on your neck muscles, |
| their strength. Similar to an elastic band aging and | | | | upper back muscles and lead to headaches and neck |
| getting less elastic. However, your ligaments and | | | | and shoulder pain. Now you can reverse that trend. |
| muscles will not just fall apart one day like an old | | | | For your low back and hip area: stand with feet |
| elastic band. | | | | together, and take a long step forward. Keep your hips |
| However, you will start to feel pain as you continue to | | | | and low back upright, and place your hands on your |
| try and move and do all the things you are used to | | | | hips so you can feel it if your posture changes. |
| doing. You depend on the muscles at the front of your | | | | Bend your back leg slowly, lowering into a runner's |
| body, the muscles across your chest and shoulders, | | | | lunge, not uncomfortably deep. You will feel the stretch |
| and the muscles at the front of your spine and hips, for | | | | at the front of your hips. The posture muscles at the |
| a lot of every day motions. You particularly lose | | | | front of your spine will get this stretch as well, and also |
| flexibility in these muscles from sitting at a desk, typing | | | | the front of your back thigh. Hold for a 10 count, and |
| and staring at a computer monitor, or similar sedentary | | | | switch legs. |
| inactivity. | | | | You will be more able to stretch after a hot bath or |
| Loosening up these muscles is all you need to do. | | | | shower. If you do any kind of exercise class, do after |
| Ligaments do not need to be stretched - in fact, joint | | | | class while you're warm. |
| stability depends on their integrity. | | | | In a dance studio, before a class, you will see dancers |
| So here are two easy stretches that will help you | | | | sitting on the floor in stretch positions, or maybe with |
| avoid back pain. | | | | their legs on the barre in a stretched ballet position. |
| Done correctly, you may find some aches and pains | | | | They are not really stretching, they are just checking |
| that you already have will disappear. Healthy muscles | | | | their positions and loosening up a little. So don't copy |
| are relaxed, and can stretch when you need them to, | | | | what ballet dancers do before class. You'll see them |
| for daily activities. | | | | really go at it after a 45 minute barre, or at the end of |
| My chiropractor calls this 'the doorway stretch'. | | | | a class. |
| Standing in a doorway, place the palm of your hand | | | | For those who have had an injury or who are |
| against the doorjamb, above shoulder level, so that | | | | experiencing any sharp or burning back muscle pains, |
| your arm is bent at a 90-degree angle, and your armpit | | | | see your health care practitioner before trying these |
| is right against the doorjamb. Press your hand and arm | | | | exercises. |
| into it. Slowly press forward increasing the stretch, not | | | | If you try ballet as an adult beginner and later opt for |
| to a point of any pain, just a stretchy feeling. Hold for | | | | another style of workout, keep up these two very |
| about a ten count. Repeat with the other arm. | | | | healthy exercises. |
| You are stretching muscles that routinely tense, | | | | |
