The Most Taxing Sports on Your Back

31 Jan The Most Taxing Sports on Your Back

Participating in sports is good for your health, but if you’re not careful it can be harmful to your back. Learn how to use your favorite sport to strengthen your back instead of putting a strain on it.

1. Weightlifting

Weight lifting often puts excessive stress on the spine. This is particularly true for those who have thin or brittle spinal disks, which often happens with aging. Muscles and ligament injuries are common amongst weightlifters.

To prevent injuries and strain on your back while weightlifting, start by warming up your muscles by stretches and doing some sort of light aerobic exercise. Doing more reps with the same weight instead of adding more weight will also help you build strength and save your back from some strain. Lifting with proper technique will also save you a lot of strain.

2. Golf

The typical golf swing can be rough on your back. It requires a forceful rotation of your spine and puts a decent amount of stress on the surrounding spinal muscles, joints, and discs. Like many sports, using proper technique and good posture will greatly benefit your back. Before golfing, stretch your back. Warm up those muscles to avoid injury.

3. Running

The repeated jarring involved in running and jogging put stress on the spine and particularly the lower back. Runners can reduce the stress on their back by running on soft surfaces. Running on concrete and uneven surfaces will put more stress on your back. Wearing some high-quality running shoes will also make a big difference. Using good running form and not letting your posture break down when you get tired. Warming up your core muscles and stretching out your legs and back will also help you avoid strain. Strengthening your hips will also help relieve lower back pain that is so common in runners.

4. Bicycling

Biking will strengthen you in many ways, but the bending your lower spine forward for long periods of time will strain your back and neck muscles. Getting a bike that fits your body’s size and height will help support your back. Riding on uneven surfaces will put extra strain on your back through jarring. Buckling in your feet will also help you to push down on the pedals an pull up on them, making biking much easier on your body. You can also put shock absorbers on the front wheel to help reduce some of the stress going to your back.

5. Tennis

The switch motions required in tennis can place stress on the spine as you rapidly move across the court, twisting and turning your spine. Using proper technique will reduce strain. Be sure to bend your knees and keep your abdominal muscles engaged. Strengthening your core will also help support your spine as you own the court.

6. Swimming

Swimming is typically very good for you—it can strengthen muscles and ligaments with very little stress. But when you don’t use proper technique, it can put a strain on the spine. Do not arch your lower back while doing strokes on your stomach. You should also avoid turning your neck back to breath every time you take a breath. This cranking of the neck repeatedly can cause strain in the neck and back.

If you have started to feel back pain while participating in sports, come see us at Spinal Rehab. We will work with you to relieve your pain and have you back in the game.