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Ernest de La Vega he is Personal trainer a back pain professional whose experience and knowledge he shares in the book ‘Training for a healthy back’ in which he dismantles some widespread myths. Moreover, hosts the ‘ENTHRENOS’ podcast about exercise and health with professionals from the sector, cardiologists, traumatologists, physiotherapists, trainers, podiatrists and nutritionists.
I understand that there are a wide variety of reasons why your back hurts, but what are the most common?
It has been shown that back pain multifactorial. There are several factors that can condition the health of the spine, such as diet (intestinal inflammation, food intolerance, etc.), emotional stress, sleep problems, jobs held for a long time, being overweight, lack of physical exercise etc.
In my personal experience, the most common cause of back pain in the people I meet at work there is the sedentary lifestyle.
Who usually has more back problems?
Usually, people who do not do physical exercise, since the practice of these conditions is the weight, the rest and the health of the skeletal system and muscles, elements that are decisive in the treatment of back pain.
But be careful, physical exercise must be properly scheduledto be gradually and with a good load-part balance, because there are also cases of people with back pain due to malpractice in this sense. As I said, back pain is not only due to lack of exercise, there are many conditioning factors, but this Active therapy is the one that has shown greater efficacy and should be the basis of treatment for back pain.
Many times you hear that back problems are blamed on age, but should we look more closely at other aspects?
Of course. While it is true that the spine and intervertebral discs undergo natural aging and their corresponding degeneration, it should also be noted that today’s positions are very postural and that a sedentary lifestyle and obesity are on the rise in society , so back pain can also appear in young people fine
Society needs to be aware of the potential health benefits of physical exercise, and it’s never too late to start. General level, exercising regularly, eating a healthy balanced diet and getting good rest in terms of quantity and quality of sleepessential to avoid back problems and any health related disorder.
The first point should be prevented to avoid so many back problems as observed in the population and, although it is difficult due to a disturbed life, what simple or basic advice would you give to prevent it?
As you say, we live a quiet life, but small daily actions that we don’t underestimate have power and can make a difference.
So the basic advice I could give someone is to avoid back problems try to walk daily, use the car lessIf you spend a lot of time sitting at work, try change posture and stand up from time to timeIf you don’t have enough free time in the day, try get between 10 and 15 minutes for physical exercise.
And if possible, The best advice I would give you is definitely to seek out a licensed personal trainer for proper advice. and help them do physical exercise in a correct and individual way so that in the medium term that person knows how to organize and exercise on their own in a safe way.
If, in general, it is already difficult to learn to sit or walk well, how can you learn to keep your back properly while training? Are there any basic tips or guidelines?
mcsports.es
There is a a concept called “Neutral Range” of the spine that every trainee should know. It refers to the ideal position for the spine where there is minimal stress on the vertebrae, discs, ligaments, etc.
The spine is not straight, it has a physiological curvature that allows improving weight distribution and at the same time a certain resistance and flexibility. Therefore, keeping these curves in a neutral range while doing the exercises will help us reduce the risk of injury.. There is a chapter in the book where I talk about it with the support of images that make it easier to understand.
Usually recommended to rest, stay in bed, etc.. when there was a back problem. Is it a good solution?
Currently, international clinical guidelines recommend avoiding rest and people with back pain are encouraged to exercisebecause this helps in the recovery process.
Before, rest was indicated first, but now it is known that it is more beneficial to do physical exercise than to stay on the couch waiting for the pain to pass. yes indeed it has to be a gradually guided exercise.
Your book is ‘Training for a healthy back’, but you’ve probably had to see people that this doesn’t necessarily have to do with physical activity in the gym or sport, but it also includes habits, right?
As I mentioned before, back pain is multifactorial, and sometimes physical exercise is not enough. In the book I explain that 4 basic pillars must support the rehabilitation of back pain, and any injuries:
- exercise
- feeding
- The rest
- stress management
Then there are other factors like overweight, smoking and postural hygiene, which also affects
All these factors must be taken into account to have good health on all levels and in the book I mention the scientific evidence related to these factors so that people can understand their relevance.
Do you put your hands to your head a lot when you go to the gym or do you see people playing sports because of the risks or efforts they put on their backs?
I have to say that not exercising is more of a concern than doing it with technique that, because of ignorance, not quite right. Now, it is true that we tend to worry about our health when we are already diagnosed with a problem, and until we have warning signs we do not give it more importance.
Sometimes you can see people in the gym doing exercises with improvable technique, and the usual answer is “I did it that way and I never hurt myself”. Sometimes genetics or luck play in your favor. But I recommend everyone to go to the gym, and if you are in doubt about any exercise, consult the trainer to make sure that the technique you are using is correct.
Can you train (gym, outdoors, etc.) when you have mild back pain? Must be?
Bed rest is contraindicated, so the highest level of physical exercise that allows pain should be done. But there are key issues to keep in mind. Not everyone feels good about the same exercise, everyone has unique characteristics that will make them benefit more from one type of exercise than another, depending on their medical history, physical condition, tolerance threshold, etc. Therefore, it is essential to seek advice from a qualified professional.
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Is there any sport or activity that is more recommended to avoid back problems? And any that are least recommended (cycling, strength training, etc.)?
According to science, No exercise is better than another to avoid back problems. The most important thing and what makes the difference is adherence and persistence. In other words, the most important thing is to make the practice of physical exercise a habit in your life and to do it on a regular basis. However, in addition to options, it is also convenient to meet the circumstances, medical history and physical condition of the person, and that the exercise should be done gradually and individually.
Traditionally swimming or tai chi is recommended, but I don’t know if you agree or not or qualify.
Any type of exercise should be recommended by an exercise specialist. Firstlythe doctor diagnosesthen attended by the physiotherapist for the person in the first stage and then The physical educator uses physical exercise as a tool to help the person recover and reduce the risk of relapse.
Like I said before, it’s not the same for everyone and shouldn’t be generalized. For this reason, it is necessary to take several factors into account when choosing the type of exercise, talk to the person to find out their situation, their experience, their history, and, from there, do one thing or another , ideally under supervision. .
Swimming or tai chi may work in some cases but not in others, and is a general suggestion that limits the person, so the exercise prescription needs to be more specific.
With your experience and knowledge, what are the most common mistakes and the most frequent when it comes to training and back? And the hits?
The usual one tend to over-prioritize stretching and under-emphasize getting stronger. Much is said about muscle tension and contractions, but very little is said about muscle inhibitions and weaknesses. And many times correcting weakness causes relaxation in other muscles that were tense. It could be said that there are more problems due to a lack of strength than a lack of flexibility.
As for the hits, it can be seen that It has very good results, strengthening the muscles of the trunk and hips and working on the mobility of the spine and hips..
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And lastly, do athletes or active people generally have healthier backs? As?
In this answer it is convenient to distinguish an athlete from a person who exercises on his own.
An athlete is a person who competes in a sporting discipline and is supported by a team of physical trainers and physiotherapists who are in charge of taking care of him through individual preventive work. In this case, generally athletes have a healthy back because of their great shape and constant personal attention.
In the case of a person who does physical exercise alone, given that it is suitable and that he does it regularly, we can understand that they have good health since the muscular system and mobility are the most best of them. But also I have seen cases of people with back pain due to overtraining and poor rest management.
Generally, there are good muscles in the middle area (stomach, lower back, buttocks,…) which acts as a belt and relieves stress on the spine, and has good mobility in the hips and thoracic spine to avoid stiffness, it will be beneficial for a healthy back.