Dumbbell Workouts To Relieve Back Pain

If you experience back pain, then your first thought would be to keep it immobile. It is our instinct to reduce movement whenever we are in pain. However, recent studies have shown that exercising can relieve pain when done correctly and for the right reasons.

Prolonged back pain is usually a consequence of excess fat, less muscle mass, and stiffness. Such conditions will easily cause fatigue and worsen your pain over time until you will not want to move at all. However, some dumbbell back exercises can rid you of this calamity. But the question is how?

How does exercise help back pain?

1. Exercise improves muscle strength.
2. Exercise improves the function of core and back muscles.
3. Exercise increases lean muscle mass.
4. Exercise helps reduce excess fat on the back.
5. Exercise increases the motion range of your spine.

What Guidelines Do I Need To Follow?

1. Make sure your pain is muscular: if your pain is not muscular and results from some sort of spinal defect due to trauma, surgery, or nerve compression, et cetera. Weight training may not be ideal for you and will end up doing more harm than good.
2. Consult a professional instructor and physiotherapist: regardless of your prior experience with dumbbells, you should always use them under the guidance of an occupational therapist or instructor. This is because weight lifting to alleviate back pain uses a vastly different technique than normal weight lifting. Moreover, therapists better understand the limits of the human body. Therefore, you won’t accidentally further damage too.
3. Use smaller weights: we understand the urge to use heavier weights. However, they’ll only bring more harm. When you start small and slow, it gives your body a chance to develop. However, heavier weights and abrupt movements might hurt susceptible tissue. Herefore, you should recognize your body’s limits and adjust the frequency, type, and exercise strategy accordingly.

What Dumbbell Workouts Can I Do For Back Pain?

There are a plethora of dumbbell exercises you can do to help your back pain. However, we have listed some of the best and most popular options:

The Good Morning Dumbbell Workout:

This workout is specifically designed for lower back pain. But, unlike its name suggests, you can perform it at any time of the day. The exercise goes as:

1. Stand upright with your feet one hip-width apart.
2. Balance a dumbbell in the crooks of your arms, between the shoulder and hands.
3. Make sure your core is tight, and your feet are firmly planted on the ground. This is your starting position.
4. Next up, you have to slightly bend your knees and push your hips back a bit until you feel a slight stretch in your hamstrings.
5. Hold this position for a few seconds before going back to the starting position.
6. Repeat a few times or for a few minutes, and do not bend your back at any point.

Dumbbell Hyperextension:

This exercise strengthens muscles in the hips and lower back. It is very easy to perform, and you only need a lightweight and a flat bench to get through it.

1. Begin with lying flat and facedown on a bench.
2. Make sure your feet and lower abs are on either corner of the bench.
3. Lock your feet on the bench or have someone hold them for you.
4. Grab a dumbbell.
5. Flex your hips and thighs and raise the dumbbell along with your upper body until you feel a stretch in your back.
6. Hold this position for a couple of seconds, and then lower yourself until the pressure is gone and you are back at the starting point.
7. Repeat.

Conclusion

Muscular back pain can be relieved through the right exercise. Usually, exercises that involve lightweight lifting prove more effective than simply resting. However, you must follow proper measures when exercising, or you’ll end up with chronic muscle pain.