Derby Active at Home - Back Health

Wed 20 Jan 2021

Back Health

Back injuries and ‘niggles’ are some of the most common injury types across the population. Whether this results in mild discomfort or keeps you from work, it can be a frustrating injury to have and sometimes it feels to be re-occurring and impossible to shake!

A weak back can also result in poor posture which can thereby lead to further discomfort and issues such as curvature of the spine, tight muscles in some areas and weak muscles in others.

A good example of this is the typical ‘hunched’ position that can occur when working from a desk if we are not careful, causing tight chest muscles, weak upper back muscles (specifically the ones located between the shoulder blades).

See the HSE guide on posture when using display equipment for more detail.

Many workers also have poor strength or daily discomfort in their lower backs, often resulting from the work they do – whether this is manual work, where poor technique can lead to back injuries such as pulled muscles; or desk-based jobs, where slouching once again can put the back in an unnatural position and place unnecessary strain upon the muscles.

As with other parts of the body, a key way to reduce any niggles, or prevent the chance of an injury in the future, is to both stretch and strengthen the surrounding muscles. The main muscles which support the spine are the abdominals to the front and the erector spinae to the rear. The latter helps to ‘extend’ the back and keep you upright – working these muscles to keep them both strong and flexible can help to subsequently reduce pain and prevent possible injuries.

Below is one example of an exercise to develop and strengthen these lower back muscles and a stretch to ease out and relax them.

Superman exercise, which helps strengthen your lower back

Lying lower back stretch, to relax the lower back muscles

Derby Active at Home is BACK! with free health and wellbeing information service.

Each week we will provide new home workouts with your Derby Active class instructors, offer information from our Wellbeing Advisors on nutrition and home exercise and share information with you from our fitness industry partners.

So keep motivated and we will help you to keep moving during the lockdown. 

Don’t forget to share your workout or activity with us on your centres Facebook, Twitter or Instagram page, we can’t wait to see you. #DerbyActive

Exercise safely 
Please remember to ensure you are safe and only take part in classes that are at your own ability level. If you have any injuries or health conditions please consult your doctor before taking part in any physical activity.