The abdominal and back muscles have a co-dependent relationship. When healthy, they work as a team, facilitating efficient, injury-free movements. As one muscle group contracts, the other stretches and relaxes. Lazy abdominal muscles destroy this relationship harmony. The back muscles assume the load and overwork to the point of burnout and pain. Saving this "muscle marriage" involves coaxing the abdominal muscles to do their part and selecting exercises that discourage excessive hip flexor compensation or lumbar curvature.
Core Activation
Physical therapists and fitness coaches credit Paul Hodges with the focus on the relationship between core activation and back pain. His groundbreaking 1999 study, published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, showed that people without back problems activated their deep core muscles a fraction of a second before limb movement, whereas people with back problems had delayed, destabilizing core-muscle activation. In an article in the October 2008 edition of the Sydney Morning Herald, Hodges warns that people with back problems change the way that their body uses their muscles and may continue to compensate with their back during so-called core exercise. He stresses the importance of learning conscious core activation. Simply practice drawing your belly in 10 times daily, holding the contraction for 10 counts.
Pelvic Tilt
The pelvic tilt corrects the excess spinal curvature that often causes back pain. Lie supine with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Inhale to prepare. As you exhale, draw your belly toward your spine and lift your lower pelvis, forming a hollow bowl from your pubic bone to your navel. Initiate the movement with conscious core activation. Think of your belly button as the power button. Pressing the button powers the movement. Perform 10 repetitions daily.
The Cat
Physical therapists often prescribe the cat exercise for back therapy. Conscious core activation makes it an effective abdominal exercise for people with back problems. Kneel on all fours. Inhale to prepare. Exhale, press your navel toward your spine, tilt your pelvis and round your upper back like an angry cat. Inhale and return to a neutral spine position. Perform 10 repetitions daily. While exercise benefits most back pain patients, physical therapists at the University of Washington Sports Medicine Clinic advise against the cat exercise for people with ruptured discs.
Stability Ball
A 2006 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research study detailed the effects of stability-ball training on spinal stability in sedentary individuals. Lead author Jacqueline M. Carter found that ball training improved spinal stability in individuals who spent most of their day in a seated position. If you've trained your core muscles to effectively activate, use the ball for crunches and oblique curls. Sit on the ball and walk down until your spine is against the ball's surface. Place both hands behind your head. Inhale to prepare. Exhale and curl your upper body so that your ribcage moves toward your pelvis. Perform 10 repetitions, and then work your obliques by curling your right shoulder toward left hip and your left shoulder toward your right hip. Perform 16 repetitions, or eight to each side.
References
- Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Altered Trunk Muscle Recruitment in People with Low Back Pain With Upper Limb Movement at Different Speeds
- Sydney Morning Herald: Core Promises
- University of New Mexico: Lower Back Stability Training
- Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: The Effects of Stability Ball Training on Spinal Stability in Sedentary Individuals
- University of Washington: Back Pain
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