AMANDA STERCZYK - AUTHOR
  • About
    • Meet Amanda
    • Amanda's Fitness Credentials
    • Workshops
    • Testimonials
    • Events
  • Books
    • Balance Exercises for Fall Prevention
    • Balance 2.0
    • Balance and Your Body
    • Move More, Your Life Depends On It
    • Your Job is Killing You
    • I Can See Your Underwear
    • Bulk Orders
  • The Move More Institute™
    • 3 Days to Better Balance
    • Balance 2.0
    • Get Off Your Butt!
    • Add Movement at Work
    • Move More! Coaching for Behaviour Change
    • Move More with Amanda
    • Free Videos
  • Blog
  • Media
    • Print
    • Video
    • Audio
  • Contact

BLog

I Have a Bad Back, So I Can't Exercise

10/8/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Ever heard someone say this: “I have a bad back, so I can’t exercise this week.” Or perhaps you’ve said it yourself. But what exactly does it mean to have a bad back? And why would that restrict you from physical activity? First, let’s look at the definition of ‘bad’:  


Bad, defined(1):
​

- low or poor in quality
- not correct or proper
- not pleasant, pleasing, or enjoyable
Is your back poor in quality or not correct? Is it truly “bad”? Yes, I do realize “bad back” is a colloquialism, but it shouldn’t be. Having a bad back implies you can’t use it, and yet, you use it every single day of your life, when you move. Did you know that low back pain is the number two cause of work absenteeism?(2) And guess what? “Almost everyone can expect to experience back pain at some point in their lives.”(3)
What causes low back pain? Some of the physical factors include: lack of fitness, heaving lifting of objects, operating motor vehicles, prolonged sitting, operating vibrating tools, and history of cigarette smoking. Some sports, like golf and horseback riding, may also overload or stress your lower back. (2) Your back may be in pain because it or another part of your body is weak or tight.(3) In the case of muscles other than the ones in your back being weak or tight, your back then has to carry more than its share of the load. It’s called a muscular imbalance. 
Our mostly sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of a back pain attack. Think about it - you spend many of your waking hours seated, in a forward hunch. When you do get up, everything feels stiff and your posture is negatively impacted because you don’t want to straighten up. It’s an effort because your posture muscles are weak.
Picture
Here’s the thing: stiffness begets stiffness.  The less you move, the weaker and stiffer your muscles and joints become. And the harder it becomes to move easily and fluidly. So you don’t move. So, what’s a person with low back pain to do? Keep moving. Motion is lotion, after all, and the movement associated with your activities of daily living will slowly help to unlock the area of pain.(3) That doesn’t mean go run a marathon - be sensible about intensity of activity.
Picture
When your back pain starts to recede, you’ll need to work on prevention of future back pain attacks. You’ll need to focus on your posture, as well as strengthening and stretching your muscles.(3)
Hmmm, that to-do list looks familiar: Posture. Strengthening muscles. Stretching Muscles. Sounds like a job for Essentrics! And I can personally attest to the fact that Essentrics helps relieve back pain with a personal story:
A few weeks ago, I was moving furniture. I know how to safely lift and carry heavy objects. But a well-meaning individual distracted me and I lost my focus. So I lifted heavy chairs with bad alignment. Yup, you guessed it. I injured my lower back and put it into spasm. Currently, I teach 9 weekly Essentrics classes and 5 weekly water-based fitness classes. I did not miss one of those classes while I was injured. I was able to continue teaching as I recovered. My back still isn’t 100%, but it’s slowly healing. And now, I need to get up from my computer and move around. Because we all need to keep moving.
Picture

References

  1. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bad
  2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nabil-ebraheim-md/causes-and-treamnet-of-lo_b_12386470.html
  3. http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/features/manage-low-back-pain-home
Image Source
pixabay.com & Amanda Sterczyk

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Essentrics
    Fitness
    General
    Guest Post
    Health & Wellness
    The Move More Institute™
    Writer

    Archives

    October 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

    Author

    Amanda Sterczyk is a Certified Personal Trainer (ACSM), an Exercise is Medicine Canada (EIMC) Fitness Professional, and a Certified Essentrics® Instructor. She offers in-home personal training in central Ottawa. Amanda specializes in helping older adults maintain and increase strength, flexibility, and mobility. No fitness goal is too small, in her opinion. 

    RSS Feed

A Selection of Services

Buy a Book
3 Days to Better Balance
Balance 2.0
​Move More! Coaching for Behaviour Change
Add Movement at Work
Workshops

Company

About
Meet Amanda
Contact
Privacy Policy
​The advice and recommendations provided by Amanda Sterczyk - Author are not medical guidelines but are for educational purposes only. You must consult your physician prior to starting any exercise program.
Prices are subject to change without notice. Payment is due before services are rendered. Sales are final and non-transferable. 
​©2019 Amanda Sterczyk
  • About
    • Meet Amanda
    • Amanda's Fitness Credentials
    • Workshops
    • Testimonials
    • Events
  • Books
    • Balance Exercises for Fall Prevention
    • Balance 2.0
    • Balance and Your Body
    • Move More, Your Life Depends On It
    • Your Job is Killing You
    • I Can See Your Underwear
    • Bulk Orders
  • The Move More Institute™
    • 3 Days to Better Balance
    • Balance 2.0
    • Get Off Your Butt!
    • Add Movement at Work
    • Move More! Coaching for Behaviour Change
    • Move More with Amanda
    • Free Videos
  • Blog
  • Media
    • Print
    • Video
    • Audio
  • Contact