 |
||
|
|
 |
|||||
Top 3 Back Pain Risk Factors
Lower back pain is an increasingly common problem in fact four out of five Americans will experience lower back pain at least once in their lifetime. Properly training the lower back involves selecting the right exercises to work this area and using good technique to make sure that you are getting the most out of the movement. Listed below are three important risk factors that may be causing pain in your lower back. 1. Muscle imbalances: nearly every ache, pain, or injury people suffer from today are mostly caused from muscular imbalances. Over 80% of people have muscle imbalances that go undetected. Over time, these muscle imbalances will cause numerous muscle and joint problems such as wear and tear on the joints, which eventually leads to arthritis, bulging disc or back spasms. An imbalanced muscle is a weak muscle.These weak muscles cannot stabilize the joint in its socket causing the joint to become misaligned and move at a slightly incorrect angle or rotation. When these faulty movements are repeated hundreds of times, the joints, tendons and muscles begin to degenerate. 2. Poor posture: Today's diverse clientele with varied needs offers a unique challenge to health and fitness professionals. The one-size-fits-all approach to exercise programs is commonly unproductive and potentially dangerous. Many injuries and chronic back pain is a result of cumulative affects overtime. Faulty postures and poor body mechanics will cause lower back pain and be at least partially attributed to these same faults. Improper movements will cause micro trauma to the joints and soft tissues. You may experience pain initially maybe pain comes and goes and doesn't get much attention but overtime the problem worsens and aching, pain, or stiffness begins more frequently. Until you correct the problem not just the symptom your back will be prone to injury or re-injury. The problem (muscle imbalances) the symptoms (poor posture) the solution (Muscle Activation Techniques). 3. Not enough exercise: Inactivity can cause our muscles to shrink and lose strength. This is a natural process, but living an inactive lifestyle (no exercise) will accelerate the loss. Physical inactivity causes an average muscle loss of 5-7 pounds per decade. Strength training is a simple concept it involves briefly working your muscles, on a regular basis, a little more than they are accustomed to working. This causes your muscles to become stronger and more toned. Also, your tendons, ligaments and bones will be strengthened. This strengthening will make your joints more stable and less prone to injury. Everyday tasks will become easier, such as picking up grocery bags or grandchildren, getting up from a low sofa or going up stairs. A Call to Action Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT) combined with the corrective exercise program is critical for combating muscle, joint and lower back pain, for increasing strength, mobility, stability and for staying active and self-sufficient. Research has consistently shown the fitness and health benefits of MAT Therapy and strength training for injury prevention and recovery. You don't have to live with lower back pain or any pain for that matter! You can control pain or even reverse it with MAT Techniques and strength training---it will have a great impact on the quality of your life. Rich Lauro is a certified Muscle Activation Technique (MAT) therapist and one of the industries top fitness experts. To learn more about MAT Techniques and how to prevent and recover faster from your sports injury. Sign up for my free email mini course "How to Prevent and Recover Faster from Your Sports Injury at http://www.sports-injury-solutions.com
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
What is the Right Home Exercise Program for You? What do you want to get out of the exercise program? The Importance of The Fibonacci Numbers in Fitness Training "Things do not change; we change." ?Henry David Thoreau Exercise and the Time Clock I have to admit that I sometimes find it amusing when someone knows I am a trainer and proceeds to elaborate on the hours that they spend in the gym. One example was a few years back when I was introduced to a nice young women, who proceeded to tell me that she went to the gym twice a day, an hour each time. Unless this second hour was spent in the jacuzzi or making up for lost time due to chatting with fellow gym-goers during the earlier timeslot, I would be leary. Instead of being impressed by her exuberant enthusiasm for working out, my thoughts were that one of those hours might be better spent in a counseling office. Excessive exercising is unsafe and a sign of other deep-rooted problems. So, the question remains how many ticks on the clock should pass before you head for the locker room? And what compels a person to go way overboard in their exercise routine? Debunking the Myth of Spot Reduction Do you ever wonder how to shrink the fat on your thighs or reduce the flab on the back of your arms? Ever wake and up and dream about wearing your favorite pants from the glory days of college? Well, short of plastic surgery, there is no way to simply eliminate certain problem areas. Weight Loss and Fitness - Facts not Fiction The world of weight loss and fitness is certainly vast, and the American consumer can absolutely get lost in the thousands of easy effortless and ostly useless ads if not careful. With my books and research I want to clear the air about the various myths and false statements regarding our health and fitness that have clearly muddied the waters for many Americans. Top 5 Exercise Plateau Breakers Plateau. That dreaded word that you do not want to hear, let alone experience. Especially if you have been diligently exercising in an attempt to get fit or lose weight. We have all experienced a plateau at some time all of a sudden you stop losing weight or you just cant seem to run any faster. When you hit a plateau, dont panic. It doesnt necessarily mean you need to work harder or spend more days at the gym. Top 10 Reasons To Exercise In The Morning If I had to pick a single factor that I thought Strength Training FAQs Do you need some beginner's strength training 'how to' information? I know you must have tons of questions. I will try my best to cover most of the beginner questions with this article. Just remember, above all else have fun and train safe! Essential Power Walking Tips Ever since I took a power walking class in college, I have been hooked. If you are thinking about learning how to power walk, I strongly urge you to do so. It is fun and a great way to get in shape and stay healthy. Friends and family members can join in, and it ends up being a great way to bond as well. So, spend a little bit of time learning about power walking. You may find that it is just what you are looking for. We will discuss the fundamentals of power walking, as well as go over a list of the equipment that you need to get started. Calf Cramps - How To Get More Gain For Less Pain! I cannot imagine that there is anyone past the age of about 10, that has never had calf cramps. Let's face it, they are horrible. From having no pain and full movement to excruciating agony in a matter of seconds. I think that you can relate to that. If you are into sports though, calf cramps are far more common, and can stop you in your tracks. So what are calf cramps exactly? Anyone competing in sports know that they usually occur after strenuous exercise. But what about those poor folk who wake up with cramps for no discernable reason. So, how do they occur? The Importance Of An Active Lifestyle Over the past 15 years or so, we have been told that a healthy lifestyle is important. Scientists recommend we should be accumulating on average 60 minutes of exercises a day in order to maintain healthy levels. What exactly does that number mean? Over the course of a regular day, we should be doing some sort of physical activity that adds up to approximately 60 minutes. Whether it is in the gym on the treadmill or just in the garden for the afternoon, adding physical activity is vital. Tone Up While at Work I know better than anybody that sitting at a desk all day can take a toll on your body. You don't get much movement and you can get what I like to call "spread butt" How to Choose a Good Jogging Stroller If you lead an active lifestyle and you want to include your new family additions in your outdoor activity then you need to consider getting yourself a good jogging stroller. Recognize Your Motivation to Exercise The positive effects of exercise have been documented and reported through every media outlet available. You can probably walk up to anyone on the street and ask them the positive benefits of exercise and they can most likely list them. If everyone knows why we need to exercise, why aren't we? The answers are most likely more complex than we think. Top 10 Exercise Mistakes and How To Fix Them This is a list of ten common mistakes made during exercise. Quite often the exerciser and even the personal trainer or coach is unaware of these mistakes, decreasing the effectiveness of the exercise and even risking injury. This list describes each "mistake" but follows with a suggested "correction". You may find this list helpful in grading yourself or even your personal trainer. The Truth About Exercise and Why Its Not Always Good for You! Exercise is often regarded as a panacea for many things..."if you want to lose weight, you must exercise"; "if you want to get those feel good endoprhins racing, take some exercise"; "if you want to help with stress, you should take up exercise". Double Calories Burned With Five Minutes Of Exercise Each Morning! Recent studies have shown that if you perform just five minutes of reasonably intense exercise in the morning you can potentially burn up to twice as many calories you normally would during the day! Online Fitness Coaching If I were to tell you that you could burn away as much fat as possible by sitting at your computer twiddling your fingers and toes, would you believe me? Well I sure hope you don't! Thirty Minutes of Exercise a Day Keeps the Doctor Away "Exercise is good for you!" If you had a dollar for every time you heard this statement uttered, you'd be rich by now, right? Well, proponents of everyday physical activity aren't just blowing smoke when they repeat this mantra. Medical research has uncovered resounding evidence to back up this "good for you" claim. In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Centers for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion all recommend the same thing when it comes to regular exercise: American adults should aim for 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, and preferably all, days of the week. Exercise & Motivation, Part 2: Overcoming Inertia & Getting Started In the first article in this series (http://tinyurl.com/8ztbo), we gave you an overview of the stages of change in Prochaska's Transtheoretical model. The first three of these stages are all about getting started. They apply to anyone who's not actually regularly exercising at the moment. If you were active in the past, but don't now (i.e. you're in the "Relapse" stage), then, motivationally speaking, you're in one of these stages. Just as a reminder, the stages are:
|
|
|
|
|
