(fornStudio / Shutterstock.com)
Having a strong back is essential to your overall health and well-being.Your back provides structural support to your body and allows you to move freely. In fact, your ability to move through life would be impossible without it!
Still, an estimated 60 to 80 percent of Westerners suffer from back pain at some point in their lives, according to Healthline. In fact, back pain is the leading cause of missed work. But there are ways that you can strengthen your back to prevent injuries and to maintain your full range of motion.
The foundation for a strong back begins with a strong core, according to Verywell Mind. Without it, your posture will suffer as the back overcompensates to keep your standing upright. So be sure to engage your abdominal muscles the entire time with a neutral back. Here are three tips to help you keep your back strong and healthy
Practice Back-Strengthening Exercises
Strengthening your back is achievable through a general exercise program that combines muscular strength, flexibility, and aerobic fitness. Chiropractors recommend that all workouts should include some back muscle strengthening exercises, according to the Joint Chiropractic website. Among their many health benefits are improved posture, back pain prevention, and enhanced spinal stability.
The best back exercises include working with a resistance band,lat pulldowns,back extensions, and working with weights, according to Healthline. All of these exercises target your back and shoulder muscles.
(Shift Drive / Shutterstock.com)
Yoga Improves Flexibility
Stretching helps to improve flexibility by decreasing tension in tight muscles, which can help reduce pain and improve mobility. And yoga, in particular, is a great way to improve your flexibility and build strength in your back.
The Cat-Cow pose, in particular, helps to strengthen posture, promote balance, and alleviate back pain, according to Healthline. To begin this pose, enter a tabletop position with your spine neutral. While on your hands and knees, take a deep inhale as you shift into cow pose. Then lift your sit bones upward, press your chest forward and drop the belly. From here, allow the exhale to guide you into a cat pose. Tuck in your tailbone as you round your spine upwards and draw the pubic bone forward. It’s important to tuck the chin and stay mindful of your spine throughout the transition.
(PeopleImages.com - Yuri A / Shutterstock.com)
Ensure Your Diet is Healthy and Nutritious
Eating a healthy diet is also vital for strengthening your back. It can help provide essential nutrients that can help keep your spine healthy and reduce inflammation in the body, according to the Comprehensive Spine Institute.
Foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, vitamin D and calcium are all beneficial for a stronger back. Additionally, staying hydrated is essential for keeping the body functioning properly and preventing dehydration which can lead to muscle cramps or strains.Eating right will help your back stay healthy and strong.
(Tatjana Baibakova / Shutterstock.com)
