If you have a job where you sit at a desk for long periods you will most likely suffer from back pain. Likewise, hunching over your laptop as you vigorously work will only harm your back. Many may not be aware, but your back is one of the most important and largest muscle groups and is most likely to be ignored. Yet, for nearly every movement, a muscle in the back is used and is also prone to the most injuries.
From bending down to tie your shoes to carrying a heavy backpack or purse, it is more difficult to do these tasks when your back is in pain or injured. That is why it is vital to strengthen your back and take proper care of this crucial body part. If you have the time and money, getting to the gym with a bottle full of the best protein powder is the best way to strengthen your back. But for those who do not have the time or resources to do that, four exercises can easily be done at home to strengthen your back.
Superman
One of the most common poses is known as Superman. This exercise is done when you lie facedown with your chin touching the ground. Make sure your ankles are touching with your toes pointed underneath. Next, you will reach your arms above your shoulders, with your palms resting flat on the floor. Then, while engaging your back, shoulders, and glutes, you will pull yourself a few inches off the group with your arms and legs remaining contracted, so they are elevated at the same height. You should hold this pose for fifteen to thirty seconds and repeat it three times.
Good Mornings
Another exercise is called a Good Morning or a Hip Hinge. For this exercise, you will need to stand straight up with your hands placed at your hips and your feet wider than your hips. While engaging your core, you will want to push your ribs down and pull your shoulders slightly back. Then, bend forward at your waist slowly in a controlled manner while maintaining your shoulders are parallel with your hips. Then bend forward until you are even with the floor, then bring yourself back up and repeat the movement.
Reverse Snow Angels
The next movement is known as a Reverse Snow Angel. For this exercise, you will want to once again lie facedown on the ground with your arms resting at your sides and palms facing down. You will then pinch your scapulae together and engage your rhomboid in the middle of your back as well as your lats as you lift your shoulders and hands a few inches off the ground. While keeping your face down, you will then bring your arms up so they are past your shoulders and up to your ears in a controlled and slow motion and then slowly bring them back to their starting point.
Dolphin Kick
Next is the Dolphin Kick, another exercise where you start face down, but this time you are positioned on a bench where the crease of your hips is placed at the end of the bench, and your feet are resting on the ground. Grabbing the underside of the bench for support, you will then straighten your legs and raise them so your toes are pointed away from your body and above your head. Hold this position for about five seconds and then drop them slightly below the bench before repeating. This movement will engage your abs, hips, glutes, and spinal erectors located in your lower back.
It is easy to forget how important it is to maintain a strong back, but it is essential so you can continue to complete daily activities and get through the workday with as little pain as possible. Incorporating the PSO Rite into your routine, along with these exercises, will ensure that your back remains strong, and the best part is that each of these can easily be done at home with no gym membership required.
