Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Challenging hamstrings to deal with back pain
Lower back pain is a conundrum unlike any other chronic musculoskeletal condition. The pain is inconsistent and seems to peak during the most seemingly innocuous movements.
During the early part of this millennium, I worked as the fitness director for the Little Rock Racquet Club. Tucked away in a wooded, quiet neighborhood off Huntington Road, the club was the perfect place for a fitness professional to gain post graduate school experience.
I had the pleasure of working with a wide variety of clients, from professional athletes to executives, who really appreciated our shared training experiences. Most of my clients were long-term, so I became very familiar with their individual physiologies, personalities and how their bodies responded to exercise stress. I could recite each one’s nutritional intake, knew their children’s names and was invited to all sorts of family gatherings. It was a wonderful time.
No matter how closely connected I became with my clients, I was often surprised to hear about their random bouts of lower back pain.
Regardless of their occupations, exercise histories or fitness, lower back pain seemed to creep in and out of my clients’ lives like a specter in the darkness. I couldn’t seem to find the right formula for prevention, despite having years of experience working as a rehabilitation specialist for a chiropractor.
To this day, I’ve not found a foolproof formula that guarantees lower back pain will not arise. I have, however, come to understand that developing strength and flexibility of the hamstrings, hip flexors and lower back will dramatically reduce the risk for the type of chronic lower back pain that isn’t related to any obvious injury.
This week’s exercise provides a perfect opportunity to challenge the hamstrings and lower back with one simple movement performed with very light resistance. The BOSU Good Morning is definitely an exercise I’d recommend to those looking to fortify themselves against future lower back pain.
1. Set up a BOSU ball with the ball side up. Select a very light barbell (10 to 20 pounds to start) and place it across your shoulders behind your head.
2. Stand on the BOSU with your feet 12 to 18 inches apart. Tighten your abdominals and press your hips backward.
3. Lean forward with your back straight and without bending the knees. Continue lowering your torso until your upper body and lower body form an L shape.
4. Your chest should be facing the floor at the bottom of this motion.
5. Keeping the abdominals tight and feeling the effort in your hamstrings, raise the torso back up until you are in a full standing position.
6. Do two or three sets of 12 repetitions.
As I learned in Little Rock, there are no guarantees for avoiding lower back pain. But the BOSU Good Morning is a great way to fight off this enemy without risking an acute injury event. Enjoy!