LITTLE ROCK — Q: Many friends call me a gym rat, and I would have to agree. I am in my mid-40s, thin and fit, exercise five or six days a week and walk 18 holes of golf any time the weather permits. Despite my level of fitness, I (as well as a number of people I know) suffer from lower back pain. Can you explain why this is and offer some suggestions for strengthening this sensitive area to reduce future pain?
- Golfer Girl
Throughout my 15 years as a personal trainer, about 75 percent of my clients have suffered from back pain at some point, including elite athletes, corporate executives and older adults. My own mother is disabled because of crippling back pain that has plagued her for thelast 10 years.
I am not a doctor or a physical therapist, but I do have some advice about how to deal with symptomatic or chronic back pain. My advice comes from the perspective of a personal trainer and should be viewed as general guidelines since I have limited information about this reader’s individual situation.
In her letter, Golfer Girl admits to being a “gym rat” who also plays golf. Back pain often is a result of performing daily activities that, routinely repeated over a long period of time, cause strain and damage to the muscles and tissue that surround and protect the spine.
The quality of gym workouts is as important as the amount of time spent in the gym - maybe evenmore important. The hours Golfer Girl spends in the gym could be the source of her back problems. People often use strength-training machines or free weights improperly. In addition, choosing the correct exercise to perform is crucial. It is important to include in workouts exercises that help support the strength of the spine and exercises that strengthen opposing sets of muscles.
If you strengthen your chest muscles, also include in your routine an exercise that strengthens the upper back. If you perform an abdominal exercise, then choose an exercise for the lower back as well. The core muscles that surround the spine must be strengthened equally, front to back, so the spine is not pulled out of alignment.
Elbow planks and side planks will strengthen the core muscles, while bird dog is excellent for strengthening the lower back (as I explained last week).
The form you use in performing your exercises is as important as the exercises you choose to do. If possible, exercise while standing up. A seated position is more stressful on the lower back, even more so if weight is added. Pick up dumbbells from a standing position, not while seated on a bench.
Many golfers have had to give up golf because of persistent back pain that is a result of hitting the ball with improper form or not strengthening the core musculature properly. A golf swing places tremendous force on the lower back. Golfer Girl should have a golf pro analyze her swing and address any incorrect form.
If her back pain is constant, she also should consult a doctor to obtain a correct diagnosis concerning the origin of her pain. Once she knows why she is experiencing the pain, she should consult a physical therapist. A good physical therapist will be able to evaluate her and suggest exercises specific to her back problem.
I suggested bird dog as a general exercise for strengthening the lower back, but after analyzing her, a physical therapist would be able to offer Golfer Girl other exercises that will help her problem area.
In addition, she should discuss her daily routines with the physical therapist. There might be some very simple lifestyle adjustments she can make that will be more backfriendly. For example, when you’re getting out of a car, it’s advisable to turn your body sideways and place both feet on the ground before standing up. In bed at night, place a pillow between your knees if you sleep on your side or under your knees if you sleep on your back.
It is important to work out, but working out too much or performing the wrong exercises or using the wrong form with too much weight can cause excessive damage. Our spines are kept strong for a reason: to help us function in our daily life.
Golfer Girl is smart to wonder why she is experiencing back pain at such a young age. Hopefully she will seek the guidance she needs to understand why her back hurts, and armed with appropriate exercises, she should be able to play golf and live pain free.
Write to personal trainer Janet Roget in care of ActiveStyle at P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203, or e-mail
ActiveStyle, Pages 23 on 12/24/2012