Exercises to Prevent Lower-Back Pain
Everyone can benefit from exercises designed to improve flexibility, muscle strength, balance, and posture. These exercises are often overlooked, but they can be the single most important component of a program to prevent back pain. In addition, these exercises reduce the risk of falling, which can lead to actual injury to the back, and the more common pain problems. Organized classes for these types of exercises include yoga, tai chi, dance, or other exercise to music. Attending a class that is supervised by a qualified instructor is preferable to exercising at home using videotapes.
A more specialized and individualized approach to strengthening and flexibility exercises for the back is an exercise-testing approach called The Backpower Program, sponsored by the National Safety Council, the American Chiropractic Association, and the Worker's Compensation Board of Ontario. This 5-minutes-a-day series of individualized back exercises seems to work well for most people who have had a back problem.
The YMCA Healthy Back Book and the accompanying YMCA Healthy Back Video have been used for decades to reduce back problems successfully and safely in people of all ages.
