3 Exercises for Pain-Free Travel

The holidays are a busy time of year. Sticking to an exercise routine can be tough, but traveling during the holidays often makes it even more challenging to adhere to your regular routine. Add in hours of sitting in the car or on the plane and you've got a recipe for disaster--aggravating any current or previous issues stemming from the low back. Below are 3 exercises that can be done almost anywhere and without any equipment to help prevent any flare-ups of your low back condition.

Spending just 5 minutes doing these 3 exercises each morning and night will help keep your back (and you) happy, healthy, and pain free during your upcoming holiday travel! What about those who don't suffer from back pain? Lucky for you! Do these exercises to help prevent any problems in the future!

1. Hip Flexor + Adductor Stretch

Sitting for extended periods leads to tight muscles in the hip area (psoas, iliopsoas, and adductor muscles), which puts stress and pressure on the low back. This stretch is great to help restore flexibility and proper range of motion after driving or sitting in a car, plane, or train (or desk) for hours.

Start in a kneeling position. Move one foot to the side and turn it outward. Shift your hips and lean towards the foot until you feel a gentle stretch in the front of the kneeling leg. Hold for 30-60 seconds. Repeat on other side. Perform 2-4 times per side.

2. Glute/Hip Bridge

Weak or inactive gluteal (butt) muscles increase the risk for low back pain. Long periods of sitting cause these muscles to become inactive, and over time, they become weak. Weak muscles do not properly support the hips, pelvis, and low back, and increase the risk of injury in those areas. The bridge is a great exercise to wake up those sleepy and inactive glute muscles and train them to become stronger.

Start by lying on the floor on your back. With your arms by your side, bend your knees and place your feet firmly on the floor. Brace through your core and squeeze your glute muscles to lift your hips off the floor. Maintain neutral spine while holding this position. Hold 1-2 seconds and slowly return to start position. Repeat 10-15 times. 

3. Bird Dog

This is a great exercise to improve core strength and stability, but it also works to improve balance and large movement coordination. The bird dog works muscles in the front, back, and sides of your core, including the transverse abdominis, multifidi, intertransversarii, and erector spinae group. This is one of my favorites for preventing low back pain.

Start on hands and knees with head and spine in neutral (straight) position--hands directly under shoulders and knees under hips. Brace through the core. Slowly raise one arm to shoulder level, hold 1-2 seconds, and return to starting position. Repeat with other arm. Slowly lift one leg off floor, extending to hip height, hold 1-2 seconds, and return to starting position. Do not allow hips to twist or rotate. Do not hyper-extend low back while extending leg. Repeat with other leg. After you confirm that you can move each limb while maintaining straight spine and hips, slowly raise one arm while simultaneously extending opposite leg. Hold for 1-2 seconds, return to starting position, and repeat on other side. Repeat 10-12 times.

Questions? Call us at 913-268-8300 or email drcoleman@mswickard.com

Disclaimer: Always consult your medical professional before attempting any new exercise routine. While these exercises are generally safe for most individuals, they may worsen some specific conditions. Do not continue exercises if they cause pain or make condition worse. 

Images courtesy of WebExercises.