The spine is the backbone of the human skeleton. It is thanks to the spine that a person holds his body in an upright position, in a state of equilibrium.
The axial load falls on all parts of the spine in approximately equal proportions, however, the lumbar and sacral-lumbar departments are still subject to a slightly larger load. This is due to the fact that as you move down the body axis, the person’s weight increases. This is the reason for the different sizes of the vertebrae, for example, in the lumbar and cervical. In the lumbar region, the diameter of the vertebrae is wider.
Today, various diseases and injuries of the lumbosacral spine are a very common problem for people of all ages, occupation and level of physical activity. This includes various bruises and sprains in the lumbar region, and spinal injuries, in particular bruises, and intervertebral hernias, and protrusion of the intervertebral discs.
And if injuries appear immediately as a result of any physical effect on the human body, then diseases like hernias and protrusions arise and develop gradually, without initially causing any discomfort.
Gymnastics for the sacro-lumbar spine can be divided into 2 types: gymnastics as rehabilitation after treatment of injuries and diseases and gymnastics to prevent the occurrence of diseases and reduce the risk of injury (gymnastics for prevention).
In both cases, the set of exercises is approximately the same, but there are certain nuances in the design of training programs. We will analyze each case separately.
Gymnastics for the sacro-lumbar spine as a rehabilitation
At the first stage of rehabilitation after treating an injury or disease of the lumbosacral spine, it is important not to overload this part of the back, so it is recommended to start with relaxing exercises and breathing exercises, after which you can gradually add new exercises with a greater load on the target part of the back.
Exercise 1
Lie with your stomach on a chair (you need to put a pillow on the chair to soften the pressure of the chair on the stomach), legs are bent at the knees, arms are lowered perpendicular to the floor. In this position, you must stay at least 5 minutes.
This exercise is aimed at relaxing the muscles and spine, which subsequently have to get a certain load when performing the following exercises.
Exercise 2
Lie on the floor with your knees bent (arms along the body), tighten the abdominal muscles and take a deep breath and exhale (for convenience, you can count to 4 both in the inhalation phase and in the exhalation phase). Do 12-15 reps. Perform 3-4 approaches.
Exercise 3
The starting position is similar to the previous one, but the legs are straightened. On inspiration, slowly raise the pelvis without lifting your legs from the floor, lock in this position for 10-12 seconds, then on the exhale also slowly return to its original position. Rest for a few seconds and repeat the action. Do 12-15 repetitions as well. Perform 3-4 approaches.
Exercise 4
Lie on your side, legs stretched out, then on the exhale, bend the leg located on the knee and bring it as close to the chest as possible, after which, when you inhale, return the leg to its original position. Perform 7-10 reps, then roll over to the other side and also perform 7-10 reps with the other foot. This is one approach. It is necessary to complete 3-5 approaches.
Exercise 5
Lie on your stomach, arms extended in front of you, after which legs and arms pull up for 10-15 seconds. This exercise is known to everyone in the school program called the boat. Perform 3-4 sets of 7-10 reps.
After completing these exercises, you need to lie down on the floor for 10 minutes, completely relaxing.
Gymnastics for the prevention of injuries and diseases of the sacro-lumbar spine
The preventive type of gymnastics differs from the rehabilitation one in the greater variability of exercises and the ability to use weights, since there is no risk of causing a relapse of the injury or disease.
At the initial stage of preventive gymnastics, exercises of rehabilitation gymnastics are quite suitable. It is especially recommended that people who are not used to additional physical activity begin with them.
Having mastered this block, you can move on to more complex exercises with your own weight, as well as using weights.
Exercise 1
Hyperextension. This exercise is used by many professional athletes at the beginning of a back training to pre-pump blood of the lumbar back muscles. In the gyms there are special simulators for this exercise, however, it can be done at home, using only your own weight and some kind of flat horizontal support like a table or curbstone.
An embodiment of hyperextension with its own weight. Lie on your stomach, legs straight shoulder-width apart, arms crossed at the back of the head or chest, inspiration lift the body, lock for a few seconds and exhale back to its original position. Perform 3-5 sets of 12-15 reps. Subsequently, the number of repetitions can be increased to 20.
An embodiment of hyperextension using horizontal support (reverse hyperextension). Lie on the table with your upper body, legs straightened, feet rest on the floor, while inhaling, lift the legs until the body forms a straight line with them, lock in for a few seconds and exhale back to its original position. Perform 3-5 sets of 10-12 reps.
Exercise 2
Deadlift. Deadlifts with a barbell or dumbbells are an integral part of the back training of almost any gym visitor.
At home, you can perform deadlift by replacing the barbell or dumbbells with any other weights, such as bags with books or bottles of water. It is important that the weights in both hands have the same weight.
Technique of execution. Starting position: standing, legs shoulder-width apart, arms with weights along the body in front of you. Take a breath, while exhaling, bend forward, at the same time bending your knees, and then return to the starting position. Perform 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps. The exercise is performed smoothly, controllably, without sudden movements, the back is straight, without arching the spine.
Exercise 3
Deadlift. This exercise is similar to a deadlift, but without bending the knees, so the back of the thigh is also included in the work.
Technique of execution. Starting position: standing, legs shoulder-width apart, arms with weights along the body in front of you. Inhale, exhale, tilt forward, then return to the starting position. When performing this exercise, as well as when performing deadlift, it is important to keep your back straight, not to stoop. Perform 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps.
It is important before performing this set of exercises to warm up all the muscles, paying special attention to the muscles of the back and legs. Warming up is necessary to minimize the risk of injury during exercise. Perform the complex at the initial stage is recommended 1 time per week. Subsequently, you can switch to a two-time execution with a rest of at least 48 hours.
This set of exercises will strengthen the back muscles by creating a muscle corset in the region of the sacro-lumbar spine, which will reduce the likelihood of diseases such as intervertebral hernia and protrusion of the intervertebral disc, as well as reduce the risk of serious injuries of the spine and back muscles in case of sudden physical impact.
