Life pro tips #3 - How to avoid constant back pain

Spend time on strengthening your back, hips, and legs if you are in the middle to late of the '20s

Explaination

The muscles of the back, hips, and legs are considered the foundation of your body. Normally, everyone thinks that focusing on their glamour muscles of shoulders, arms, and abs are more important. However, it will be more beneficial to concentrate on strengthening your foundation. 

I’m about to be graduate from medical school and I can’t even begin to describe how important it is to have a stable spine, hips, and knees. People in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and up all complain of having constant back pain. Most of this isn’t caused by things are degenerative disorders (while that can most certainly be the case) but mostly due to a sedentary lifestyles leading weak muscles which further causes joint instability and increased disc and cartilage stress in those joints.

I’ve seen so many elderly people come in with backs that look like question marks and people in wheelchairs due to severe osteoarthritis in their knees and hips. The best way to prevent this down the road is to strengthen the muscles around joints to give them stability and strengthen the bones themselves through weight lifting.

Solution

The key is to just stay active and try to incorporate exercises or stretches that strengthen your back, hip, and knees. You don’t have to go out and try to deadlift or squat 350lbs. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your muscles and joints. Sedentary? Start with a walk and gradually build from there. Kind of active? Hit the gym and train these muscles. Start slow and light and get used to the movement. Then slowly increase weights. FOCUS ON FORM NOT THE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT. Don’t have a workout partner to check your form? Ask one of those jacked dudes at the gym. They have been some of the nicest people I’ve met and are always helpful. (I’m scrawny as hell so it was intimidating the first time not going to lie) Just get moving.

If you’re not sure what exercises to do, try to find physical therapist run websites that recommend exercises for certain muscle groups. The goal isn’t to like Hercules. It’s to invest in your future quality of life.

Shared by: AnitaDildeaux