Back pain (Women Only Please)

solaceowl

Over time when you lose weight has anyone notice back and chest pain improvement? Since I've been losing weight I notice a huge difference. Luckily if I keep at it I can avoid surgery. Women in my family always had big chest and breast problems. But has it been that simple for you? If so what exercises that you use that have helped out?

NextPage

I'm also a busty girl but have avoided back pain through a number of methods including 1) trying to keep weight at a reasonable level (hard for sure sometimes); 2) maintaining good posture and flexibility; 3) weight training; 4) good bras. With weights lat pull downs, rows, dead lifts, flys, overhead press, chest press, push ups etc. are all good as well as core work. You want to back sure you balance out your front and back chest, shoulders and lower and upper back muscles for strengthen and overall posture. These are all good exercises for many reasons and reducing/stopping back pain is just one of the them! If you ask a trainer for help or just check out internet sites on body building you will learn a lot about technique.

khaleesi_16388

I don't necessarily have back pain from my breasts, but I'm definitely familiar with it as I've had scoliosis since childhood, wore a back brace as an adolescent and have had two spinal fusion surgeries. In the past few years I've made a conscious decision not to let my back pain keep me from getting in shape, but it's definitely been a process. A few tips I've learned:

-Keep it low impact. I found that running on treadmills/pavement and HIIT involving lots of plyo tended to be way too high impact and exacerbate/add to my existing back problems
-FORM FORM FORM. If you can lift weights with good form, it will go SO far in terms of strengthening your back and alleviating pain and discomfort. I have really weak and uneven back muscles, so I've noticed that every little move away from perfect form I can definitely feel and definitely has the potential to tweak my back. That said, since I've been weight training (carefully!) I've noticed a HUGE improvement in my back overall as my back and my body in general have gotten stronger.
-Invest in an awesome mattress and sleep on your back. I slept on an old mattress with a memory foam topper for years and just recently changed to a really nice mattress that was slightly costly, but worth every.darn.penny. Your back health is one of the most important aspects that can impact your overall health and your day to day life, so take care of yourself in that respect! Having a mattress that gives you proper support is great for your back, and if you're lifting, allows your muscles to truly REST and recuperate while you sleep.

Hope this helps!

Edit: Feel free to PM me if you have more questions!

lemon629

I just want to add to the above suggestions-- make sure you wear properly fitting bras. Most women wear bras that are too large in the band, and a lot also wear bras to small in the cup. Wearing the correct bra size and style will help your posture and take weight off your shoulders.

Cc215

I was having a lot of back / shoulder pain - had been getting it on and off for years - and at times it lingered aroud for weeks.

End of last year I started doing a pilates class a week. It's made a massive difference for me. I've only had one bout of pain in that time - and it cleared up after a couple of days (and a class). I just do a couple of the exercises that focus on the shoulders at home if i feel like my shoulders are starting to feel tight and that helps.

Can't promise it would work so well for you - but based on my experience of it I'd say it's worth a try.