4 Indoor Exercises To Help Prevent Spine Pain
Category: Spine Pain | Author: Stefano Sinicropi
It’s the middle of winter here in Minnesota, which means the snow and ice aren’t going away anytime soon. It can be difficult to find the motivation or a safe place to exercise when it’s cold out and the sidewalks are covered in snow, but that doesn’t mean we should put off exercising until spring arrives. Regular exercise strengthens structures in our spine and can help keep pain at bay. Today, we take a look at four indoor exercises you can do to stay active and keep your spine healthy in the winter.
Yoga
As we explained in a recent blog, yoga has been shown to be helpful in keeping chronic low back pain at bay. Yoga is a great exercise to perform indoors because you really don’t need any equipment other than a yoga mat, so you can do it in your living room or wherever you can find space. Odds are there’s a yoga studio near you, so if you want to learn the basics, search for classes in your area.
Treadmill
A treadmill is another way to stay in shape and keep your spine healthy during the winter months. Running pumps oxygenated blood throughout our bodies, and this helps promote healthy tissue growth in the muscles in our spine. You can usually find a gently used treadmill for a good price on the web or at a fitness store, and that can provide you with years of exercise as long as you maintain your equipment. If you don’t have room for a treadmill at home, consider getting a gym membership or find an indoor track that has public access so that you can get your running in throughout the week.
Elliptical
A lot of people with spine pain who are looking to control the condition prefer an elliptical machine to a treadmill because the stress of each stride can be jarring on their spine. Instead, an elliptical machine provides similar benefits of running without putting the impact on the spine. Many of these machines come with incline and resistance adjustments so you can easily find a workout that best suits your needs. Similar to a treadmill, you can find one of these machines at a fitness store, or the nearby gym should have plenty of ellipticals for you to choose from.
Swimming
Unlike the above three points, if you’re like most people you probably aren’t blessed with an indoor pool to access whenever you’re looking for a workout. As we’ve discussed before on a blog about the benefits of aqua therapy for spine pain, swimming and aqua aerobics are great for your spine because it strengthens the spine without the structure needing to account for the pressure of gravity. The water also provides natural resistance, which is great if you’re trying to regain strength after an injury or operation. Check out your local pool if you’re looking for a new exercise routine this winter.
