Training

Increase Strength & Flexibility to Decrease Pain

— By Holly Little, Certified Personal Trainer

It’s a common problem for many who exercise. It makes everyday activity difficult, and scares a lot of people away from any physical activity. It’s lower back pain. For those of you who suffer from it, there is hope.  While there are a multitude of things that can cause back pain, from genetic malformations to injury, a number of recent studies show that a lack of core strength contributes to pain and stiffness in the lower back.

So what’s the best way to deal with lower back pain that your health care provider has attributed to a lack of core strength? Exercise.  This might cause a little more pain in the beginning, but under the care of your health provider, it can reduce your pain in the long run.  And for many people, the long-term solution for back pain lies in abdominal, hip and lower back strengthening and stretching exercises.

Some pain or aches in your lower back might be the result of weak abdominal muscles. When you have a weak abs, you are more likely to have poor posture and your lower back muscles are forced to take over, which can strain them in a way that becomes uncomfortable or painful over time. You can minimize back pain by doing exercises that make the muscles in your abs stronger, while also training to increase the strength and flexibility level in your lower back, hips and thighs.

Everyone’s back pain is different, so it’s a good idea to check with your health care provider about what’s best for you. If core strength is your problem, the following exercises can help.

Leg Raises to strengthen stomach and hip muscles
How to: Lie on your back with your arms at your sides. Lift one leg off the floor to about a 45° angle. Hold your leg up for a count of 10 and return it to the floor. Do the same with the other leg. Repeat 5 times with each leg. If that is too difficult, keep one knee bent and the foot flat on the ground while raising the opposite leg.

Leg Raises to strengthen back and hip muscles
How to: Lie on your stomach. Tighten the muscles in one leg and raise it from the floor. Raise it as high as you can (approximately 30°) without causing any discomfort to your lower back or lifting your hip off the floor. Hold your leg up for a count of 10 and return it to the floor. Do the same with the other leg. Repeat 5 times with each leg.

Wall Slides to strengthen your back, hip and leg muscles

How to: Stand with your back against a wall and feet shoulder-width apart. Slide down into a crouch until the knees bend to about 90°. Count to 5 and slide back up the wall. Repeat 5 times.

Partial Sit-Up to strengthen stomach muscles
How to: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on floor. Slowly raise your head and shoulders off the floor and reach with both hands toward your knees. Count to 10. Repeat 5 times.

Back Leg Swing to strengthen hip and back muscles
How to: Stand behind a chair with your hands on the back of the chair. Lift one leg back and up while keeping the knee straight. Return slowly. Raise the other leg and return. Repeat 5 times with each leg.

Exercises to increase flexibility and stretch out the back
How to: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on your bed or floor. Raise your knees toward your chest. Place both hands under your knees and gently pull your knees as close to your chest as possible. Do not raise your head. Do not straighten your legs as you lower them. Start with 5 repetitions, several times a day.

Remember to never exercise to the point of sharp pain or discomfort, and gradually progress to more repetitions or sets of an exercise. Although it can be uncomfortable or slightly painful to strengthen the areas of your body that are causing your back pain, the benefit will be there in the long run. Say so long to the pain in your back!

An action plan for healthier kids, including exercise images

For Children (Age 12 and Younger)

For both boys and girls, it is important to engage in exercises for kids that require walking, jumping, running, skipping, hopping, catching, and climbing to aid in developing their balance, agility, and coordination. Movements such as these will also allow for their natural growth spurts and patterns to occur.

I recommend a minimum of 4 days per week of cardiovascular activities. Kids should move for 30 minutes per day, and up to 7 days a week is acceptable. These activities can be done through group sports or as general play.

Baseball, soccer, basketball, touch football. These are great if your child is a “joiner” and likes organized activities. Adult supervision and coaching are excellent, though it’s even better if you or your husband can help coach.

Dodgeball. This is a very fun game, but kids need to be careful.

Tag. Kids can play this old standby for hours. They have no idea how much exercise they are getting, because they are having so much fun. It’s a great game if kids have lots of neighborhood friends.

Trampoline. Kids should be careful and do this only with adult supervision and with adults serving as spotters. It’s a great activity for building up endurance and leg muscles.

Climbing. Find some little hills or paths out in the parks for great fun. Monkey bars are great for upper-body muscle development and keep kids entertained for hours.

Skateboarding. Skateboarding is great for the legs and cardiovascular health. Kids must always wear helmets and must go only on sidewalks — never on the street. Make sure they check for cars going in and out of driveways.

Jump rope. Jumping rope gets the heart beating and is great for leg strength. You don’t need a big yard, and you can even do it indoors.

Roller skating, ice skating. Roller and ice skating are great cardio activities, and kids love them.

Bowling. Bowling builds great coordination and arm strength, and it’s fun for kids and parents alike.

Martial arts. Many kids are starting martial arts at very early ages. Judo and karate are a great form of exercise for kids and teach them great discipline, self-control and self-confidence.

Check your local YMCA, YWCA, and park districts for classes and events. Whatever activities you choose, supervision and proper instruction are always recommended. It’s okay to ask your children what they like to do — discover what they consider to be fun. This is also a way of finding out what sports or activities they might naturally excel at. Watch out for those future Olympians! If they can’t decide, feel free to suggest a daily activity and provide them with the necessary environment.

Fit Family Activity
At one time during the week, I want everyone in your family to participate in one family activity for 30 minutes.

Generally, you can do whatever you want for your weekly family fun as long as it involves the entire family and is healthy, and you have a good time. It should be something easy that puts the family together and begins to reinforce good habits around this weekly event.

I recommend going to a park with a soccer ball and having a family soccer game. Regardless of where you live, there are plenty of park areas where you and your entire family can meet and do lots of things. If you can’t find any goals, use some trashcans or plastic cones to make goals, and have a blast. Everyone loves to kick a ball.

Spend as much time as you like playing, but no less than 30 minutes. Have scoring contests with one another. See who can head the ball into the net, who can dribble the farthest, and who can kick the farthest, or have a parents versus kids game. Be creative, and you will have fun and lots of laughs. And don’t forget to give yourself and your family small rewards for their healthy efforts; maybe a trip to the movie theater or some extra time staying up on the weekends. It will go a long way.

If it’s raining or too cold outside, find an indoor rock climbing wall and have the whole family try to climb. Rock climbing develops hand grip and all upper body muscles, and it’s a great confidence booster. Climbing on an indoor wall is safe and fun for the whole family, but be sure to have proper instruction before starting.

For children, I recommend doing exercises that concentrate on pushing with their upper bodies, sitting and standing with their legs, using their arms and shoulders, and balancing on their feet. Along with their cardiovascular activities, boys and girls need just a little bit of resistance that will enable these foundation muscles to grow stronger. Kids 12 and under are too young to be lifting “weights.” Misused and/or misguided weight lifting can possibly interfere with growth patterns or cause serious injury. Wait until your child is 13 or older to start using weights of any kind–and always provide proper instruction.

I recommend 2 days per week of strength-training exercises, doing one set of each exercise. Follow the number sequence to complete one go-round, or “circuit.” Do 10 repetitions per exercise. Simply have your child follow the sequence of numbers from 1 to 7 to complete a full exercise session. Have your child complete all seven exercises at least once for a full workout. Kids should do anywhere from 1 to 10 repetitions, depending on their abilities. If your child is capable and wants more of a challenge, he can repeat the circuit of all seven exercises a second and even a third time, keeping the repetitions at 10. Check your child’s form at all times and seek professional guidance if needed (hint, hint).

#1 Pushup (on knees)
(Chest, shoulders, triceps)

#2 Back Extension (Supermans)
(Back, buttocks)

#3 Biceps Curl w/ light medicine ball
(Biceps)

#4 Overhead Press
(Shoulders, triceps)

#5 Sit/Stand Chair Exercise
(Legs, hips)

#6 Abdominal Crunch
(Abdominals, lower back)

#7 One-Leg Balance
(Legs, hips—ankle/knee stabilizers)

Start conquering obesity and sedentary behavior at an early age. Your kids will thank you later

By Maria Masters and Adam Bornstein

Rule 1: Don’t Rely on Organized Sports

Just because your kid is in T-ball doesn’t mean that he’s active enough. A new study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found that less than 25 percent of student athletes receive the recommended 60 minutes of daily exercise. Plus, the researchers found that the kids spent about 30 minutes of their practice sessions being completely inactive.

Coaches need to make sure everyone is participating in the game, so some children might have to wait their turns to head onto the field, say the scientists. They suggest that adults should take a more active role in the practice sessions, even if that means monitoring children with a pedometer.

Rule 2: Keep Play Fun

Don’t worry too much about the rules. “Making a game or activity too rigid is the best way to guarantee that a kid won’t want to be active,” says Men’s Health FitsSchools advisor Jim Liston, C.S.C.S. “Your job is to facilitate play, not dictate it.” So if kids stop playing an organized game and start chasing a butterfly, just go with it. “As long as young kids are running, jumping, and having fun, they’re improving their health and athletic ability.”

Rule 3: Turn off the TV…

If you want your kid to get off the couch once in a while, you have to do the same. Case in point: A 2010 study by British researchers found that 6-year-old girls were nearly 3.5 times more likely to watch more than 4 hours of television a day if their parents similarly stared at the tube for 2-4 hours a day. As for boys, the scientists found that the little guys were about 10 times more likely to watch TV for 4 hours a day if their parents did as well.

Luckily, the solution is simple—turn off the tube. But what about “educational TV,” you ask? Fact is, only 1 out of every 8 shows for children are real learning opportunities.

Rule 4: …Unless You’re Playing Wii

We’re not saying that your child should start spending more time in the living room than the backyard, but kids can have a good workout by playing certain video games. Recently, the American Heart Association officially stated that Wii Fit Plus and Wii Sports Resort games are legitimate ways to stay active. And a recent study in the journal Pediatrics found that kids (aged 10-13) who played Dance Dance Revolution had an exercise session that was comparable to walking at a moderate-intensity pace.

Rule 5: Never Reward Kids with Food

It’s no wonder childhood obesity is so prevalent: “We tell our children to eat healthy, but then we reward their good behavior with junk food,” says Liston. No, there’s nothing wrong with an occasional treat. But to consistently reinforce a kid with ice cream and candy for a job well done—such as finishing his homework—delivers the wrong message. In fact, you should use caution in rewarding kids with any kind of food, including healthy fare. “This practice can teach them that it’s good to eat even when they’re not hungry,” explains Liston. Instead, give them another kind of reward—like extra playtime outside.

Rule 6: Instruct by Showing, Not Telling

Forget the phrase “Keep your eye on the ball.” Why? Because the first time most a kid hears it, he (or she) has no idea what you’re talking about. Instead, show him how to hit a baseball with these 6 steps:

1. Stand a few feet away and tell your kid to look at the ball.

2. Move toward him with the ball in your hand while continually instructing him to keep looking at the ball. (This way, he’ll learn to track it.)

3. When you approach the strike zone, tell him to slowly try to hit the ball with the bat.

4. Go back to the starting point, then toss the ball into the strike zone and allow him to swing.

5. Review what he did well and give him instruction for improvement.

6. Repeat.

Rule 7: Know When to Praise

Kids aren’t stupid. Say your son whiffs at three pitches in a row. The modern parent often says, “Good try.” But that type of hollow praise doesn’t console him, or help him the next time he steps up to the plate. “Praise should be specific and authentic, as in, ‘Good job juggling the ball 10 times. I see you’ve been practicing a lot. Your efforts have paid off,’ ” says Liston. “You should also mix instruction and encouragement when your child makes a mistake.” Look for a teaching point, even on a strikeout. For instance, you might say, “Good eye on that second and third pitch. Keep swinging at pitches like those, and the hits will come.”

Rule 8: Make a Play Date with Friends

Remember the days of running around with the neighborhood kids from dawn until dusk? Wasn’t that fun? Well, it’s also an essential way to keep your kid in shape: UK researchers found that children who have an active, neighborhood playmate are 2-3 times more likely to be physically active themselves when compared to kids who don’t live near a buddy.

Rule 9: But Don’t Compare Your Kids with Others

Kids develop the coordination to run, catch, and throw at different rates, says Liston. The trouble is, they’re often expected to perform at certain levels based solely on their ages. As a result, a child whose development is slower than average may never have the opportunity to catch up with his peers. “If a kid tries to catch a baseball on the run before he’s able to catch a beach ball while standing still, he won’t have the tools he needs to be successful, says Liston. Unfortunately, many parents and coaches think the solution is for the child to try harder, when the real secret is backing up to a simpler task that the kid can improve upon.

Rule 10: Give Them Your Blessing

Encouraging your kids to participate in “vigorous” sports—like basketball and soccer—can cause your children to become more active, according to research in the journal Health Psychology. In the study, kids who received support from their parents were more likely to sign up for team sports (and less likely to spend their time sitting around) than the children who’s parents didn’t give them a push.

Obvious—and simple, right? Then what are you waiting for?