HOW TO PROTECT YOUR LOWER BACK

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Back pain is one of the most common human ailments, affecting an estimated four out of five people at some point in their lives. Over 75 million people have back problems, including 2 million who suffer chronic pain and over 8 million new cases a year. Since a back problem can permanently affect your participation in bodybuilding, preventive measures are of the utmost importance.

Your neuro-muscular-skeletal system is delicately balanced and interconnected. When a muscle is too weak or even too strong, it places abnormal stress on another muscle. The muscle that is stressed will compensate for a while, but eventually it will begin to hurt. For this reason, it's important to follow an intelligent , balanced strength training program that has been tested and proven safe by experts. Otherwise, favoring the development of certain muscles over others can start a chain reaction of pain and imbalance in your body.

Strengthening the abdominals can help prevent lower back pain. One of the chief causes of lower back pain is weak abdominal muscles. The abdominals hold the lower torso and if they are weak, the back muscles will be forced into strainful positions and efforts. Unfortunately people create lower back problems by doing abdominal work incorrectly. Here are some tips for strengthening without injury;

	Before doing abdominal exercises, warm-up the lower back by rolling down slowly from a standing position. Bend the knees slightly, then roll up one vertebra at a time, head coming up last.
	Another warm-up is done lying on your back. Bend the right knee, grasp it with your hands, then gently pull it into your chest. Release it, then do the same with the left leg, being careful not to pull it in too hard.
	Do sit-ups with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Crossing your arms in front of your chest, place your hands on your shoulders. Roll up and down SLOWLY, in a controlled motion. You can also twist slightly from side to side, bringing your elbow to the opposite knee.
	While doing leg lifts, keep your lower back pressed into the ground. Do not let the back curve so that there is space between it and the floor; keep the entire spine pressed down.
	One of the best ways to work the abdominals without putting pressure on the back is to raise yourself from lying down into a v-position, back and legs straight. Use your stomach muscles to hold this position as long as you can.
	When stretching in a sitting position with your legs extended in front of you, use your abdominal muscles to lift the torso, then reach towards your toes stretching from the hips, not the waist.
	After stretching forward, always stretch the opposite way. A good way to do this is to lie on your stomach with a pillow under your waist and pelvis. Raise your legs up, holding them with the knees straight for ten seconds.

Training Without Straining. Almost everyone has heard the admonition: be careful lifting that or you'll hurt your back! Bodybuilders, who lift heavier weights more often than most people, can be especially vulnerable. However, if you train carefully, you can greatly minimize the risks.

Never bend from the waist while lifting. Instead, lower your body by bending your knees, keeping your back straight. Start by squatting in front of the weight, then stand up by unbending your knees, holding the weight close to your body.

Straight legged dead lifts make you especially prone to lower back injury and should be avoided. There are plenty of other exercises that can give you the same benefits without the risk.

When working out with dumbbells, always hold two equal weights in each hand. During overhead lifts, be careful not to bring the weight behind your head or arch your back.

While doing bent-over rows, always keep the knees slightly flexed, not locking in a straight position.

When you are doing front squats, it's imperative to keep the spine straight as you bend up and down.

Lunges should be done with the back straight as you step forward. When twisting with weights, keep the pelvis immobile and twist only from the waist.

Tips for Daily Living. Many female bodybuilders are cautious in the gym, but forget to take care of their backs during their day-to-day activities. Remember, the rules for weightlifting also apply to lifting groceries, children or anything else. It's not the weight that's dangerous, it's lifting it the wrong way. So stay aware of your body at all times.

Posture plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy back. Stand straight, with your stomach muscles firm and your buttocks tucked in. Don't way your back or let a curve develop in the lumbar region. Also, try not to sink into one hip or the other. Good posture will not only save your back, it will also make you look much more attractive and fit.

Sitting is more stressful to the back than standing, so if you have a sedentary job, get up and move around often. Make sure you have a chair that has adjustable height, so you can sit with your feet flat on the floor and your knees slightly higher than your hips. Your chair should be firm, but not totally hard, with armrests and tilt-and-swivel mechanisms.

Rest on a good firm mattress, and never sleep on your stomach. Lying on our side with the hips and knees slightly flexed is the best position; lying face up is also okay.

What to do if Your Lower Back Hurts. Despite the best intentions, the human body is subject to injury, particularly in the lower back region. Pain is a warning sign from our body that should be heeded If you experience pain during training, or at any time, you should see a chiropractor as soon as possible.

Holistic chiropractors specialize in curing back problems without resorting to drugs or invasive methods. Unlike medical doctors, they will not prescribe painkillers, which can mask your symptoms without solving the problem, and cause bad side effects. And chiropractors will not recommend unnecessary surgery. Every year, 200,000 people undergo operations for lower back pain, and it fails completely in about 20% of the cases. Three out of five patients continue to have back pain after surgery. Therefore, it seems clear that natural treatments are preferable.

Holistic chiropractors gently manipulate your spine, removing nerve interference and pressure on vertebral discs. They adjust the vertebrae to correct misalignments which can cause pain. Modern chiropractors also employ a number of other techniques to produce dramatic relief for backache sufferers.

After correcting the initial problem, they then teach you how to avoid reoccurrence, through rehabilitative exercises and healthy habits. The do not create the dependent relationship that traditional doctors do. Instead, they treat their patients as partners in the healing process.

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