Our back are possibly the most neglected part of us when we exercise.
My back is my new favourite part of my body to work out! Until the last 6 months, I was guilty as everyone for neglecting my back, because, well, I couldn’t see it! In fact, according to the NHS, back pain is behind more disability than any other condition and it could affect nearly 1 in 10 people, with it becoming more common with increasing age. So maybe we should consider our backs more, and here are my top reasons why:
1. Improves posture
Your muscles in your back do a lot of work, all day every day, supporting your spine as you sit up and walk around. If the muscles in your back are weak, it can make your shoulders rounded and hunched (this is called kyphosis). Unfortunately, a lot of our lifestyles contribute towards this as we sit down all day, often hunched over computer screens or phones.
2. Prevents lower back pain
If your middle and lower back muscles are weaker, then this can put strain on the lower back. Combine this with working out your ab muscles and not stretching them, wearing high heels regularly, and being more flexible as females, you can have a recipe for disaster with lower back pain!
3. Makes all action safer and more stable
It’s not all superficial folks. There are some muscles deep in your back that support your spine and pelvis. If these are strong and functioning correctly, then you will find running that 5km, bench pressing, moving furniture, carrying your shopping and even twisting to pick up something you dropped easier and with less risk of injury.
4. Creates muscular balance
For muscular balance, you need to work out your muscles of your front and the muscles of your back, which results in a well-rounded super-functioning human! Muscle imbalances can lead to pain, increased risk of injury and poor posture. Don’t forget, a good stretching programme is also vital to achieving muscular balance – stretch your front and your back muscles just as much.
5. It looks awesome!
Refer to picture. Enough said ;)
Convincing arguments right? So how can you go about getting some of these great benefits? Here are some ideas of exercises you could try: reverse flyes, single arm row, bent over row, deadlifts, (assisted) pull ups, lat pull downs, planks, back extensions... Correct form with these exercises is essential, otherwise you just get better at holding yourself in the wrong posture. Never heard of some of them or how to stretch these different parts of your body? Send me a message and I'll message you straight back.
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