LOW BACK PAIN
Seven Must Do Exercises
You don’t require a roomful of fancy equipment to help ypu get in shape. Start these no-frills exercises, twice a week and in no time you will see a difference in the form of firm and tighter muscles in six to eight weeks.Ready to begin?
1. Squat (legs)Stand with your feet as wide as your hips, your weight slightly back on your heels, and place your hands on your hips. Pull your abdominals in, stand up tall with square shoulders and a lifted chest. Sit back and down, as if you're sitting into a chair directly behind you. Lower as far as you can without leaning your upper body more than a few inches forward (this depends on your flexibility and your build). If you can bend your knees far enough so that your thighs are parallel to the floor. Once you feel your upper body fold forward over your thighs, straighten your legs and stand back up. Take care not to lock your knees at the top of the movement.
2. Pull-overs (upper back)Place two or three large pillows on the floor. Lie down on the pillows so that your entire head, back and shoulders are resting on them. Pull your abs in gently so your lower back doesn't arch up. Grasp light dumb-bells in both hands and straighten your arms upwards so that they are suspended directly over your upper chest. Lower the weight behind you until the bottom of it is level with the back of your head.
3. Push-ups (chest, shoulders, arms)Lie on your stomach, bend your knees and cross your ankles. Bend your elbows and place your palms on the floor a bit to the side and in front of your shoulders. Straighten your arms and lift your body so you're balanced on your palms and knees. Tuck your chin a few inches towards your chest so your forehead faces the floor. Tighten your abdominals. Bend your elbows and lower your entire body at once. Rather than trying to touch your chest to the floor, lower only until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Push back up.
4. Lateral raise (shoulders)Hold light dumb-bells in each hand and . Bench dips (arms)Sit on the edge of a chair with your legs together and straight in front of you, toes pointing up. Keeping your elbows relaxed, straighten your arms, place your hands about six inches apart and firmly grip the edges of the bench.
5.Slide your butt just off the front of the bench so that your upper body is pointing straight down. Keep your abdominals pulled in and your head centered between your shoulders. Bend your elbows and lower your body in a straight line. When your upper arms are parallel to the floor, push yourself back up.
6. Basic crunch (abs)Lie on the floor on your back with your feet hip width apart. Cradle the back of your head in your hands without lacing your fingers together and with your elbows rounded slightly inward. Tilt your chin a small way towards your chest and pull your abdominal muscles in. Exhale through your mouth as you curl your head, neck, and shoulders up off the floor. Hold at the top of the movement for a moment, and then inhale as you slowly lower down.
7. Back extension (Lower back)Lie on your stomach with your forehead on the floor, arms straight out in front of you, palms down, and legs straight out behind you. Pull your abs in, as if you're trying to create a small space between your stomach and the floor. Lift your right arm and left leg about one inch off the floor and stretch out as much as you can. Hold this position for five slow counts, lower back down, and then repeat the same move with your left arm and right leg. Continue alternating sides until you've completed the set.CRAMPING AND SPASMS? If you are cramping during a workout or even otherwise, then it's possible that you are not drinking enough water before and after exercising. Also make sure that you are warming up and cooling down before every workout. Don't eat anything heavy - like fried foods or pizza - at least two hours before exercising. stand up tall with your feet as wide
WARM UPS ARE ESSENTIAL Beginning your workout with a warm up, not only helps in doing your work out better, but also it is also actually a must. No matter what your workout consists of, or what the objective of the workout is (weight loss/building muscle) you need a warm up for at least ten minutes. Warm up is essentially a combination of a stretch routine plus a slow-paced build up of activity for all the muscles of your body (neck, shoulders, hips, waist, legs, and hands). This helps in loosening the muscles and getting your body into the workout mode. A workout without a warm up first leads to more muscle strain, with the result that you get tired too fast, or land up with more body aches.
EXERCISE THOSE THIGHS The squat is one of the most simple and effective ways to exercise the thighs. Stand with your feet apart on a flat surface. Keep your centre of gravity, that is do not bend forward or back. Keep your head and back straight. Slowly squat to the floor till your thighs are parallel to the floor and then come back again. The motion is that of sitting on a chair and rising. Avoid bending too far down, as this will put additional pressure on your knees. The pressure should be on your thighs. Once you build up some strength you can start doing this with weights. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and let it hang loose by your side when performing the squats. Thigh muscles tend to become loose as you age. Regular squats will help you build and maintain firm thighs.
THE RIGHT WAY TO RUN If you enjoy the occasional, run then pay attention to what's beneath you. Fitness experts advise to avoid running on concrete roads and sidewalks. Asphalt is okay, not concrete. Ideally, jogging tracks are perfect but if you don't have access to one, at least make sure you are running on a flat surface without too many potholes and bumps. To build up stamina you might alternate between walking and running. Over time, you could reduce your walking and do more of running A good benchmark is to increase your running distance by about 10 per cent a week --- but only if you're comfortable. Don't force it.
