According to the American Chiropractic Association, 80 percent of people suffer from back pain throughout their lifetime. Most of this pain is mechanical or non-organic. This means it's not caused from a disease but from activities such as hard labor, athletics, household repairs, mowing the lawn and shoveling. A male living an inactive lifestyle contributes to low back pain. Treatments for low back pain in men are chiropractic adjustments, massage, physical therapy and core strengthening. Low back strengthening begins with passive stretching, active stretching and ball exercises. Adding other sources of exercise, such as core training and cardiovascular exercise, helps the male body as a whole and the low back.
Passive Stretches
Stretching is an important part of the workout procedure that's commonly overlooked. Passive stretches should be held for 15 to 30 seconds and should never cause pain. Stretch the muscles of the legs, hips and low back. The hamstrings, which are usually much tighter on a male than a female, can be stretched by lying on your back with one knee bent. Extend the other leg toward the ceiling by using a towel around the foot to increase the stretch. Stretch the piriformis by lying flat and bringing one leg over the other and pulling the knee to the chest. Stretch the lower back by kneeling on all fours, taking a deep breath in and pushing your back toward the ceiling. Exhale and bring the belly toward the ground, says ACAtoday.org.
Active Stretches
Active stretches facilitate movement and improve strength. These exercises are meant to be slight and simple. Don't overdo the motion. The activities work the small muscles of the spine, even if you don't feel a muscle burn. Do leg raises by lying on your stomach and slowly raising the legs toward the ceiling. Lift the foot off the ground about six to 12 inches. Repeat this 20 times with each leg.
Bridging is another excellent lower back exercise for men. This is done by lying on the back with the knees slightly bent. Slowly raise the hips toward the ceiling and relax. Repeat this 20 times.
Or, sit on all fours and lift the opposite leg and arm while maintaining balance. Hold this for 30 to 60 seconds and repeat with the other leg and arm, according to ACAtoday.org.
Ball Exercises
Using a large exercise ball is a great way to strengthen the lower back. While sitting on the exercise ball, move the hips side to side and tilt the pelvis front and back. Keep the shoulders steady, stomach tucked in, and repeat each exercise 15 to 20 times each. These exercises are difficult for some men to accomplish because the hips do not move as easily as a woman's hips. Focus on only moving the pelvis area when doing side to side tilts of the pelvis. This ensures proper strengthening of the muscles.
Another exercise to do while sitting on ball is to lift the knee and opposite arm. Repeat this with the other knee and arm. Bridging is a great exercise on the ball. Begin sitting and slowly roll down so the shoulder blades are on the ball, the hips are help up in the air and the knees are almost at a 90-degree angle. Keep the pelvis level with the shoulders. This strengthens the core and lower back muscles. Once bridging becomes comfortable, lift one knee and hold for 15 seconds while the ball stabilizes.
Other Exercises
Building the muscles of the core is essential for lower back rehabilitation. Pilates classes are an excellent core-building exercise. Men who don't enjoy Pilates classes can work on building their core by doing abdominal exercises on the exercise ball. Avoid full sit-ups because of the strain on the lower back and stick to doing leg lifts and crunches.
For people suffering from low back pain, regular cardiovascular exercise can be difficult. Options include a recumbent bike that supports the back against the seat, which doesn't stress the lower back muscles. Elliptical machines are low impact and decrease the stress on the structures of the low back. Maintaining good posture while on the elliptical is important. Water therapy such as water walking, swimming and aerobics are low impact because of the weightless effect of the water on the joints. When swimming or joining a water aerobics class, avoid rotation of the lower back.
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