Need some back strengthening tips/help

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butterfly_lvr
butterfly_lvr Posts: 88
in Fitness and Exercise
A little background on me first - I am 54, female, have a total of 4 compressed discs. Two are in the whiplash area and the other two are L4 and L5 and when they shift the wrong way they hit the sciatic nerve (bad to say the least). I already know some will suggest some form of push-ups BUT I also have a bad right wrist - cannot put serious pressure on it without it hurting (no insurance of any kind so cannot get it checked out). The pain is around the wrist bone area on the right thumb side. I have been using the Leslie Sansone walk away the pounds DVD's for about a month now; think I pushed it a bit to hard yesterday as went to bed with sore lower back and this morning it continues so did not do work out I had planned. We also have an elliptical and though my times are not anywhere near the greatest on it, I do what I can and keep trying. I am just looking for some tips, exercises, etc that may help strengthen my back but not put me in more pain than what I am already in right now. thanks for taking the time to read this :-)

Replies

  • dancingnancies
    dancingnancies Posts: 255 Member
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    i also have a bad back. ugh. you should try planks to strengthen your core and your back. you are pretty much in a push up stance but you are on your forearms instead of your hands. your feet are our behind you. hold the plank for X ammount of time. it's a great exercise for us backpain sufferers.

    http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm

    there is a picture of it (since my description wasn't that great lol)

    goodluck!!! :flowerforyou:
  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
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    Bump!
  • Bullitt4424
    Bullitt4424 Posts: 13
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    Trish
    I feel your pain… literally. I had my L4-5 disc removed back in 2000 with major complications.
    A strong core is essential to help your back. I don’t know if what I do will help you because each back injury is different. This is what has helped me. I do most of my sit-ups/crunches on the exercise ball. I also do a lot of planks. As for the pushups you might want to try an old martial arts move and try them on the knuckles. This helps me when my carpel tunnel acts up.
    Best of luck!
    Mike
  • jeffrodgers1
    jeffrodgers1 Posts: 991 Member
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    Try a beginners Yoga class. When I injured my back, yoga is one of the things that helped get me mobile again. Low impact and works at stretching and strengthening at the same time.

    It is also a good calorie burn. Reducing weight helps alleviate many of the symptoms of back injuries.
  • bmontgomery87
    bmontgomery87 Posts: 1,260 Member
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    You could do plank exercises. Pushup position, but you're on your forearms instead of wrists.

    As far as strengthening the different muscles you could do seated rows at low weight and see how your back handles that.
  • ValerieMomof2
    ValerieMomof2 Posts: 530 Member
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    Have you ever done physical therapy for your back? If not, you could go to a PT for a home program and they could show you the safest exercises for your injuries
  • butterfly_lvr
    butterfly_lvr Posts: 88
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    Trish
    I feel your pain… literally. I had my L4-5 disc removed back in 2000 with major complications.
    A strong core is essential to help your back. I don’t know if what I do will help you because each back injury is different. This is what has helped me. I do most of my sit-ups/crunches on the exercise ball. I also do a lot of planks. As for the pushups you might want to try an old martial arts move and try them on the knuckles. This helps me when my carpel tunnel acts up.
    Best of luck!
    Mike

    thanks Mike - (my hubby's name too) - I actually do have the exercise/body ball and have been doing crunches on that as it just makes it so much easier. I will check into the planks using the forearms - might just be able to handle that one. Thanks again :-)
  • butterfly_lvr
    butterfly_lvr Posts: 88
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    Have you ever done physical therapy for your back? If not, you could go to a PT for a home program and they could show you the safest exercises for your injuries

    as I said, no insurance so only place I have gone was the chiropractor which is where I finally found out about the 4 compressed discs (and slightly crooked spine). thanks :-)
  • butterfly_lvr
    butterfly_lvr Posts: 88
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    You could do plank exercises. Pushup position, but you're on your forearms instead of wrists.

    As far as strengthening the different muscles you could do seated rows at low weight and see how your back handles that.

    what exactly are "seated rows" ? new to a lot of exercises so am curious. Thank you as well for plank suggestion; will defintely look that one for proper position and see if I can do that one.
  • butterfly_lvr
    butterfly_lvr Posts: 88
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    Try a beginners Yoga class. When I injured my back, yoga is one of the things that helped get me mobile again. Low impact and works at stretching and strengthening at the same time.

    It is also a good calorie burn. Reducing weight helps alleviate many of the symptoms of back injuries.

    Thanks Jeff; I am currently at 166 and extra weight is all in stomach and hips (typical female LOL) but am working on it slow and steady. I would have to look Yoga up online as there is nothing I can do outside the house - no transportation during day and can't afford a bus all the time and no cabs (worse than a bus LOL)...but I thank you for your input as well.
  • picturesing
    picturesing Posts: 228
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    Right there with ya sister! I'm 51 and yesterday had a discectomy of a ruptured disc at L5/S1.....it ruptured in October and OMG for several months I HAD to take pain meds to exist! Limited the narcs to only bedtime only - needed to sleep! I also have degenerative disc disease. I was lucky enough to get an epidural in Jan - really helped my pain and I was able to begin to workout and get my core stronger with cardio, some weights,ab work as I could tolerate and beginning Yoga.
    Like I said surgery was yesterday and I'm doing great - I know I'm going to recover really well b/c of the work I did on my core prior to surgery.
    You face a difficult but NOT insurmountable journey. Do what you can within the limits of your pain. WALK - baby steps and build from there. I too have bad wrists so I modify push ups and plank position by not flattening out my hand but using a fist - it helps me. I started with Yoga - it's amazing and DVDs that made me sweat like crazy in beginning now barely create a glisten! You CAN do this - but it has to be a a safe pace for you! MFP is here for you and so am I - feel free to friend me! :flowerforyou:
  • butterfly_lvr
    butterfly_lvr Posts: 88
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    i also have a bad back. ugh. you should try planks to strengthen your core and your back. you are pretty much in a push up stance but you are on your forearms instead of your hands. your feet are our behind you. hold the plank for X ammount of time. it's a great exercise for us backpain sufferers.

    http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm

    there is a picture of it (since my description wasn't that great lol)

    goodluck!!! :flowerforyou:

    thank you so much for the link and the explanation :-) your description was just fine LOL
  • bmontgomery87
    bmontgomery87 Posts: 1,260 Member
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    what exactly are "seated rows" ? new to a lot of exercises so am curious. Thank you as well for plank suggestion; will defintely look that one for proper position and see if I can do that one.

    Sorry. I didn't think to ask if you had a gym membership. If you do then it's a cable machine where you sit down , reach forward and grab handles, then pull weight back towards yourself.

    If you don't have a gym membership but have dumbbells at your home google dumbbell rows and try doing those.

    Any "pull" excercise is going to strengthen your back and biceps. Push excercises strengthen your chest/tris.
  • KrisPage
    KrisPage Posts: 539 Member
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    yoga and pilates are great for strengthening core muscles which supports you body and reduces back pain. There are lots of great DVDs and workouts out there.
  • butterfly_lvr
    butterfly_lvr Posts: 88
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    Right there with ya sister! I'm 51 and yesterday had a discectomy of a ruptured disc at L5/S1.....it ruptured in October and OMG for several months I HAD to take pain meds to exist! Limited the narcs to only bedtime only - needed to sleep! I also have degenerative disc disease. I was lucky enough to get an epidural in Jan - really helped my pain and I was able to begin to workout and get my core stronger with cardio, some weights,ab work as I could tolerate and beginning Yoga.
    Like I said surgery was yesterday and I'm doing great - I know I'm going to recover really well b/c of the work I did on my core prior to surgery.
    You face a difficult but NOT insurmountable journey. Do what you can within the limits of your pain. WALK - baby steps and build from there. I too have bad wrists so I modify push ups and plank position by not flattening out my hand but using a fist - it helps me. I started with Yoga - it's amazing and DVDs that made me sweat like crazy in beginning now barely create a glisten! You CAN do this - but it has to be a a safe pace for you! MFP is here for you and so am I - feel free to friend me! :flowerforyou:


    wanda, thank you so much and I will be looking you up for sure. It seems back probs run in my family - my dad has degenerative disc disease, I am plagued with a bad back and both of my sons have had back problems so we are no stranger to it for sure. Maybe this weekend if payday is nice to hubby I will look into some yoga dvd's to start using as well... :-)
  • butterfly_lvr
    butterfly_lvr Posts: 88
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    what exactly are "seated rows" ? new to a lot of exercises so am curious. Thank you as well for plank suggestion; will defintely look that one for proper position and see if I can do that one.

    Sorry. I didn't think to ask if you had a gym membership. If you do then it's a cable machine where you sit down , reach forward and grab handles, then pull weight back towards yourself.

    If you don't have a gym membership but have dumbbells at your home google dumbbell rows and try doing those.

    Any "pull" excercise is going to strengthen your back and biceps. Push excercises strengthen your chest/tris.

    no gym membership, no way out of house so I have resistance tube, exercise/body ball, elliptical and walking dvd's and pair of 3lb hand weights as well. Will definitely look into these and thanks for the explanation.
  • butterfly_lvr
    butterfly_lvr Posts: 88
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    yoga and pilates are great for strengthening core muscles which supports you body and reduces back pain. There are lots of great DVDs and workouts out there.

    yoga seems to be big winner so I will see if I can afford to pick up a dvd this weekend :-) thank you :-)
  • bmontgomery87
    bmontgomery87 Posts: 1,260 Member
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    Anytime.
    They really are a great excercise if you can spend a little and get a dumbbell set. I got one at wal-mart before I had a gym membership, the kind where you add the weights to the dumbbells so you can adjust them as needed.

    I've read (no source, it's been a while) that having strong back muscles is helpful for keeping the spine properly aligned.
  • glendadykstra
    glendadykstra Posts: 24
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    Having a back that has put me through the wringer, (I have a SCS permanently implanted) There are a lot of things that can cause even more pain. One of the things my therapist told me is to do push ups while standing next to a wall. Place your feet away from the wall. The further you place them, the more work your body does. It is much easier on my back then trying to do floor push ups of any kind. (If I get down there, I have a heck of a time getting back up)
    Right now I do a minimum of 30 minutes on the elliptical, walk or hike for 60-120 minutes but all of that is not strength building. I am trying to work myself up to 50 of 'my' pushups. :)

    Good luck!

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