Good Health Today

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Stretching for Back Health

Some of the most common back injuries occur when you pick
up a relatively heavy object from the floor and move it to
a higher level. Back injuries also can occur when you lift
a lighter object or absorb a falling weight, where you
twist your spine. Medical research has shown that a strong
and supple back is more resistant to fatigue and to injury.
These injuries are often caused by acute over-stress or by
chronic overuse.

This article discusses the importance of spine flexibility
and the Do's and Don'ts of proper stretching for a healthy
back.

Why is back health important?

Any time that you twist or bend at the waist, you are
putting a physical load on your spine and the muscles that
support it. If the flexibility of your back and hamstring
area is not good when you bend forward, when you bend to
the side, or when you twist at the waist, the strain that
you put on your spine and its muscles is greater. If the
movement you make at the waist is quick or beyond your
normal range of motion, your chances of back injury are
much greater. If you stretch correctly and regularly, every
movement that you do that involves your back will become
easier. This is the reason that good back flexibility is
important in reducing the chances of back injury in your
job, as well as away from the job.

Some Basic Rules for SAFE and EFFECTIVE Stretching There
are five basic rules regarding stretching which you should
keep in mind as you begin to focus on improving the
flexibility of your spine.

1. Stretching exercises, if done correctly, should not be
painful! If you are feeling pain during a stretch, you have
gone too far beyond your normal range of motion for that
exercise. Proper stretching will cause you to feel a good
level of muscle tension and a little bit of a 'burn' but
will keep you in the pain-free range of motion.

2. Stretching exercises must be performed gradually and
progressively without jerking! You should NEVER bounce up
and down during a stretch to try and extend your range of
motion. Always do your stretch slowly and with complete
control so that you do not risk an injury (muscle pull or
spasm) during the exercise. This will ensure that your
stretching routine is as effective as possible.

3. Each stretch should be "held" for 30 to 40 seconds to be
most effective! If you only hold your stretched position
for 5 to 10 seconds, you will not gain in flexibility. In
order to see some real improvement in the suppleness of
your spine and other joints, you must hold each stretch for
30 to 40 seconds while you consciously try to relax the
muscles which normally tense up.

4. Do not hold your breath during the stretching exercise!
Breath normally during your stretching exercises and avoid
holding your breath. Try to be rhythmical (a steady pace)
in your breathing as this will increase the feeling of
relaxation which you will feel as you become more practiced
in proper stretching techniques.

5. Stretching exercises should be done every day! There is
no reason why you cannot set aside 15 minutes each day
(perhaps while you are watching television or before you
get out of bed in the morning) to complete your stretching
routine.

An increase in flexibility of your spine will help to
reduce the chances of suffering painful injuries to your
back. As this is an area of importance within your physical
conditioning regimen, we recommend that you invest in any
number of excellent publications on this topic to learn
more about proper stretching technique and the various
exercises you can use to build an effective stretching
routine.

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Jacques Dallaire, Ph.D is the principal consultant of
Performance Prime. Dr. Dallaire has extensive experience
gained over the past 32 years working with more than 1000
high-performance athletes and business professionals. To
access Dr. Dallaire's entire vault of Performance Files, or
to learn about Dallaire Consulting's business performance
programs, individual and sport programs and products, visit:
http://www.performanceprime.com