Five At-Home Exercises You Can Do to Relieve Back Pain

Back pain hurts, and it can come on at any time. Whether you engage in vigorous exercise, sit at a desk for long periods of time, or are even effected by changes in the temperature, back pain can make it hard to go about your daily life. There are several reasons why someone can suffer from back pain, from a former vehicle accident, to pregnancy, to even maintaining bad posture for hours on end. The hard part is how to relieve it once it happens, especially if you do not wish to take pain relief medications.

Exercise is an excellent remedy for back pain as it loosens up and tones the muscles in your back. It makes you back stronger, and when done regularly, exercise may even alleviate the pain for good. Life is busy, and it may not be possible for you to find time to go to the gym for your workout, but there are several pain relieving exercises you can do at home or even on while you are at work.

Crunches and Sit-Ups:

Crunches are a classic exercise that many people learn to do early on in their lives. This is the exercise in which you lay on your back with your knees bent up and your feet planted firmly on the ground. Simply cross our hands behind your head, and pull yourself up into a half-sitting position. As you do crunches, you will feel the wonderful burning sensation in your abs and your back, letting your know that your muscles are hard at work. The key to doing crunches is to do them slowly and build up the amount of them you do over time. It is not a good idea to attempt to do 100 in a row when you are first starting out. Start by completing 20 good quality crunches and build up the amount you can do in a specific period of time. Your back muscles will stretch out, and you will start to see some tone in your abdominal muscles.

Bicycle Moves:

Instead of actually getting on a bike and going for a ride, lay on your back and pretend that you are doing it. Simply lay on your back, place your arms at your sides for balance, and bend and move your legs as if you were pushing the peddles on a bike. This exercise will help your body learn to balance more effectively, and your back will bend and stretch as you keep your legs moving in the air. Try doing this exercise for at least 10 minutes a day, and you will start to feel the results of a more limber back side.

Press Ups:

Press ups constrict and stretch your back muscles in a couple of easy steps. To complete a press up, lay on your stomach, with your legs crossed at the knees and raise yourself up by your arms until you are leaning on your elbows and your chest is off the ground. Maintain this position for 30 seconds to one minute, and then release, bringing your body back down to the ground. Continue to complete these steps for 10 to 15 minutes and you will feel the strain in your back release.

The Bird Dog:

This is not an exercise that you do with your favorite furry friend, but the clever name of a pose you can do at home to relieve your pain! The Bird Dog requires you to get down on and balance your body weight on your hands and knees, much like the pose you would do if you were looking for something on the ground. Once you are in position, raise your left leg so that it is straight out behind you, while at the same time, raising your right arm so that it is straight out in front of you. This exercise is dependent on coordination and balance, so you may be a little wobbly the first few times that you attempt it. Once you are in this position, hold it for five to 10 seconds and then repeat the steps with the opposite arms and legs. This exercise should be done for 10 to 15 minutes.

Lifting Hand Weights:

Lifting hand weights is another good way to relieve tension from your back, and build arm muscles at the same time. There are many different methods to lifting arm weights, from lifting out side to side, or even lifting from the front of your body to the back of your body. It is important to find weights that are comfortable for you to handle, and that are not too heavy. The weights should be light enough that you can maneuver them safely, but heavy enough that they work your muscles.

Exercise is an important part of back pain relief, especially if you do not want to take medication. It conditions your back and makes it more flexible over time. Back pain normally rears its ugly head when your muscles are stiff, or if you have practiced bad posture while sitting for long periods. These simple exercises can be practiced just about anywhere, so they are perfect for your busy life. After a while, you will feel their soothing effects, and perhaps even eliminate your pain forever.

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HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our health risk assessment, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years.

Kayla
3. November 2017
Kayla
3. November 2017
My mom is suffering from back pain. My aunt suggested back pain relief services. She also sent my mom this article. She said that these exercises may come in handy too. My aunt especially asked my mom to do the bicycle moves.

rohan patel
16. September 2017
rohan patel
16. September 2017
Recently I have been having some back pain, but it has been difficult figuring out where it is coming from. I never would have thought that my hip could be causing the problem. Previously, I have been told that my hip extensor strength is off balance, so it would make sense that this is what is affecting my back. To fix this, what do I need to do? If I can just do some exercises every day, then I should be able to get it fixed without too much trouble!

Camille J. Brown
20. December 2016
Camille J. Brown
20. December 2016
Great advice! I know first-hand how much exercise helps with back pain. If I am idle, my pain is worse and stiffness increases. But the more I work on my core using several of the exercises you suggested, the stronger those abdominal muscles are that support my back, and the less pain I feel. Thanks for sharing.

Dr. Ben Green.
19. December 2016
Dr. Ben Green.
19. December 2016
When you are in pain, the first thing to do is get out of it. New back pain, rest, ice and get them checked, but if you?ve had the pain for a while, it is movement that is important. A chiropractor can get the joints moving again for you. Then it?s up to you to keep it moving with exercise. So much you can do, just stay out of pain. Moving without pain is the key. Great advice you have there.

Gregory Willard
24. June 2016
Gregory Willard
24. June 2016
I didn't know that the bicycle moves actually help relieve back pain. My wife has been going to the chiropractor for her chronic back pain, and has been wanting to find other ways. I will have to let her know about this article.

Anna
24. February 2016
Anna
24. February 2016
Most of my time is spent sitting facing my computer for hours and back pain is raising my concern. I don't have much time for exercise because of the nature of my work. Are there any pain relievers aside from exercise?

Stewart @ Back Pain
26. January 2016
Stewart @ Back Pain
26. January 2016
Recently I have been having some back pain, but it has been difficult figuring out where it is coming from. I never would have thought that my hip could be causing the problem. Previously, I have been told that my hip extensor strength is off balance, so it would make sense that this is what is affecting my back. To fix this, what do I need to do? If I can just do some exercises every day, then I should be able to get it fixed without too much trouble!

Sonie
13. November 2015
Sonie
13. November 2015
Hamstring stretch sluggish lying on your back, and rolled up to a strap or towel around the ball of your foot in your chest and place your right knee. Straighten your leg toward the ceiling. Both heels out of the press. Once strained lower back, left knee and place the foot ground.Hold for 3-5 minutes, then let's switch to the left for 3-5 minutes ..

Natalie Darcy
8. October 2015
Natalie Darcy
8. October 2015
Back pain is the type of thing that will just ruin your day. Half the time I won't even realize that that is what my problem is until the day is over. These exercises are super simple and something that you can probably go through in less than ten minutes. I think that if I wake up a little earlier to do this, I will feel much better throughout the day.

Zia Haider
2. October 2015
Zia Haider
2. October 2015
I found your article very helpful. Really I have been suffering from low back pain for a long time. I must follow the exercise. Thank you very much for sharing.

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Written by HealthStatus
Medical Writer & Editor

HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our health risk assessment, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years.

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