By Christian Lawrence
Water; so smooth and refreshing... it's no wonder it is referred to as the fountain of life. I totally concur. I recall sometime ago once I wrote on a similar topic, I said something about never having seen a fat swimmer (and I mean professional swimmers; I am aware we have seen all kinds of in the local pools these days). Same is true of a swimmer with persistent back pain (yeah right! Pretty ironic, isn't it?). Greater part of lower-back pain issues are the result of strained muscles or ligaments, and though often painful, usually resolves by itself. Structural problems in the spine, for example herniated discs sometimes require surgical intervention. Swimming gives a non-weight bearing environment in order to exercise the big muscles in the back as well as smaller muscle groups which help support them. Proper stroke technique prevents swimming-related injuries, and stroke drills and kicks help relieve tense muscles. This lower back exercise also has low-impact consequences involved because it does not put any direct stress, twisting or rough contact lying on your back as other sports may do. While limiting pressure and additional pain around the back, swimming exercises also can help to strengthen a weak back.
Exercising in water is really a safe way to workout without putting stress on the joints. The buoyancy created from being in a pool of water up to your neck will support 90 percent of the body weight, based on Spine-Health, an online resource for back and neck pain. This will take pressure off the lumbar spine of the lower back. You can do stretching and strengthening exercises in a pool. Walk around the pool or swim for a few minutes to loosen up the muscles before exercising and walk around between stretches. For spine problems, swimming with a sidestroke or backstroke on your workout is recommended in order to avoid causing low back pain as you swim. You should prevent back injury when executing this lower back exercise by making sure your positioning is correct. Engage your stomach muscles as you swim in the front style, and keep your head in a straight line with your body, not cranked up to look toward the sky or ceiling.
Like a swimmer (pro or not; as long as you are in water, you are a swimmer), so as a swimmer, weight training exercise is crucial and also your focus ought to be on developing strong muscles with higher endurance capabilities. You need to target higher repetitions (perhaps 15 or more), with low or moderate weights. Train in this way for 2 sets and after that train heavier on your last set, with six to 10 rep whilst keeping , to increasingly gain strength. Some parts in the body that relates with the lower back and they are impacted by swimming are;
The Biceps and Triceps
While in the pool, you will be working your biceps and triceps as you pull the water using your arms, forcefully working against the resistance in the water. Experts recommend completing standing bicep hammer curls and seated dumbbell curls to primarily target the biceps. Complete your curls with your elbows tight on your sides and take control of your weight slowly up and down. Triceps overhead extensions and dips target train the backs of the arms. Triceps dips should be completed using a bench with straight legs or knees bent for an easier approach.
The Lower Body
The glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings are all engaged in swimming. Regardless if you are freestyle kicking or using a breaststroke kick, your lower body actively works against the resistance of the water. The seated hamstring curl machine will target the backs of the thighs to build strength and complete the leg extension to target train your quadriceps. Squats will actively engage all the major muscles of your lower body to develop strength. Squats can be executed either with or without weights.
The Core Back
Core strength is essential in swimmers. Target train your core with yoga moves. YogaJournal.com suggests doing plank pose or boat pose to interact with the entire midsection to build up strength. Plank pose is similar to holding the top of a pushup. Draw your navel in and engage the core by continuing to keep your body in one line. Boat pose begins whenever you sit back and extend your legs out 45 degrees in front of you. Holding this static move, place your hands on top of the floor and out over your sides. Try to hold both poses for half a minute, completing each exercise three times.
So having known these, I suppose you'll need exercises that may help you effectively address the issues you've with these lower body parts, here goes;
The Backstroke
To try and do the backstroke, move backward in the pool gliding on your back, propelling the body by producing large, circular backward motions with the arms. Begin with your right arm, bringing it upwards and back to come into the water near to your head then follow in a similar manner using your left arm. Kick your feet lightly with the knees slightly bent to keep your body moving along in a straight line.
The Sidestroke
Work your lower back gently with a sidestroke. Get in a relaxed position in the water on either side of the body with your lower arm extended underneath the head along with your upper arm alongside your upper thigh. Draw your legs in toward your body and move your lower hand in toward your shoulder and also your upper hand in toward your chin. Propel the body in the water by kicking your legs out and digging into the water together with your upper hand.
The Dolphin Kick
Turn on to your back and perform dolphin kicks, pulling and pushing using the core muscles in your abdomen. Use an undulating hip motion to flex and contract back muscles. Repeat with and without swim fins. Carry out the similar exercise while you're on one side. Only perform Dolphin kick sets when your lower back is healthy and pain free.
The Aquatic March
Another water exercise that targets the lower back involves marching in position. Always keep your spine straight. Start out with the feet firmly on the floor and shoulder-width apart. When marching in position, lift one leg up at a 90-degree angle. Lower it back in the ground and raise the other leg. Alternate the legs for 20 seconds. When returning your foot towards the floor on the pool, avoid pounding or slapping it down.
The Water Pull
Swimming works out the large muscles in the chest, back, and the legs. Overuse or weakness of muscles utilized to rotate the body in freestyle results in lower back pain. Pulling freestyle means swimming using your legs isolated trailing behind. It changes the swimmer's position in water somewhat, and eliminates any painful movements linked to the flutter kick. Using a pull buoy keeps legs from sinking helping to keeps the entire body elevated in the water. Keep a streamlined position and also your head steady. Take long strokes, counting the strokes per length. Pull four laps of a 50m pool, or eight laps of a 25 m pool. Decrease the quantity of strokes per length and concentrate on elongating the body and stretching out your muscles within your lower back.
Vertical Exercises
Vertical kicking forces the swimmer to keep balance within the water and also to use leg and supporting abdominals to hold upright. Perform flutter or freestyle kick, keeping your arms out of the water in an 'I surrender' position. Kick for one minute. Then, keep legs still and scull along with your hands to keep over water. Sculling means making continuous circular movements with the hands, palms face upon the water. Bring your knees up and extend the feet so that the legs are perpendicular to your torso. Retain the position for a moment then continue. Repeat for just one minute.
The Knee-to-Chest
A knee-to-chest exercise involves stretching and strengthening the muscles in your hips, legs and lower back. Doing the movements involved underwater reduces tension and gives slight resistance, that is beneficial to reducing low back pain while toning muscles. Begin by standing on your own left leg. Lift your right leg off the ground, bending your knee. Holding on to the side of the pool, slowly straighten your right leg. Hold this position for 10 seconds and return your foot to the floor. Repeat with the left leg.
The Front-to-Back Leg Swing
Another beneficial exercise is the front-to-back leg swing. This exercise stretches the low back and also involves your hips, knees and thighs. Stand with your left side facing the side of the pool. Keep your legs shoulder-width apart. Holding on to the edge, slowly extend your left leg straight out. Keep your toes facing upwards and hold this position for five seconds, then slowly swing your leg straight back behind you. Pause for five seconds. Repeat Ten times, and then move to right side.
On the final note, in case you have any signs of fatigue while you are doing any one of these aquatic lower back exercises; stop and seek medical attention immediately. For precision, a few of the indications of fatigue include trouble breathing, dizziness, feeling flush, nausea, weakness, irregular heartbeat, chest pains, confusion and disorientation. Begin your exercise routine slowly. Take frequent breaks every 15 minutes to prevent injury and also to give your muscle tissue time for it to recover.
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