Bad back exercises

Bad backs run in my family, does anyone have any good swing thoughts and tips to help people with bad backs? I know exercise will help, but it's inevitable that my back will go bad. I just want to make sure I get into some swing thoughts that won't kill my back!!!

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I've had minor back trouble after my car got rear-ended, and the physical therapist showed me some back exercises to do. There's recovery exercises and longer-term strength-building exercises. Besides strength, flexibility is important. Do hip stretching regularly to promote flexibility.

Another culprit = dehydration. In cooler weather we don't feel as thirsty, so we sometimes forget to drink enough water and good fluids.  You can pull a muscle if your electrolytes are too low. When a football player cramps up, this is often what the problem is.

Water and sports drinks are among good fluids : Alcohol and coffee with caffeine are diuretics, which draw water out of your body. Alcohol and coffee increase the amount of water you need to drink.

A cramp and a pulled muscle are NOT the same thing. While a cramp will probably be helped on my keeping adequate levels of electrolytes, a pulled muscle is usually caused by not warming up enough before exercise or not having enough strength to perform the movement [overworking the muscle].

As for the op, mobility [flexibility] for the hip flexors, adductors, quads, and hamstrings can be helpful as well as strengthening for your glutes and abs

This is my experience, being a member of the Bad Back Club.

I'll assume you've seen a physician about the pulled muscle and are following the therapy he/she suggested to you.

To get out of your current fix, do gentle, I say gentle , stretching through the movements that cause you the pain. Now do it more gently than that.

Sit with good, upright posture, the kind our Mother wanted us to have at the dinner table when we were kids. She knew what she was talking about.

Stand with good, upright posture.

Slouching in any position puts a LOT of pressure on your lower back.

Even if good posture hurts a bit, do it. It will promote healing.

Strength and flexibility exercises won't help you very much if your posture puts stresses on your back it was not designed to support.

Once you're out of it, then start the exercises, especially dynamic ones that take you through the twisting motions of the golf swing.

I've had a bad back since my teenage years. Parents used to throw me in the back seat sideways to get me to the chiro to unjar it. Have had to go to the chiro most of my life and maintain a lot of flexibility (I can put my palms on the floor with my knees straight). 3 years ago, a new Chiropractor introduced me to the foam roller (5.5 inch hard foam cylinder) to exercise and rehab with. First time I rolled on it my back was really sore and my abs were shaking like crazy. I've been using it for 3 years religiously and I even take it on the road with me. I'm able to do my exercises with 3 of my young children along for the ride (damn kids won't leave me alone when I'm on the thing ). This is the longest stretch I've ever gone without needing the chiro.

As an aside, my game has really lengthened in that time, I'm easily 10% longer with all my clubs. I've seen them use the roller on Titleist's fitness program on the Golf Channel in the last year. Best $30 investment I've ever made.

As for the ball. I use it too, but be careful. I sit at a desk for hours at a time, I found that using the ball exclusively weakened my hamstrings, which caused my knees to become injured for about a month (the amount of time it took to strengthen my hams again)...I still use it, but I switch back and fourth...

Yoga has helped me out a ton.  Had a problem with sciatica a couple of years ago and started doing yoga 3-4 times per week about 18 months ago.  It has helped a bunch; I'm more flexible and stronger.  I also have an exercise ball and some other stretching that I do on a daily basis.  Have lost 20+ lbs since the back injury and my game has improved too.

Thanks for sharing everyone, good read !

I've got a herniated S1 L4/L5 treated only through physical therapy -- don't want to do surgery if I don't have to. But it does effect my swing. I stick to a pretty religious practice of walking, stationary bike, various pilates/yoga stretches (planks, superman, etc.) and it keeps things manageable for now. Grab a session with a PT guy/gal and have them teach you the CORRECT way to do them. Then you can just do them on your own.

Back stuff should be diagnosed by a trained professional. But what I know is, when the nerve gets pinched (i.e. sciatica) the muscles around it swell up to protect it. This sets off a whole chain reaction of muscular compensations that have to be relieved (i.e. stretching, etc.) before the root of the problem can be relieved.

My experience anyway... I've found that my body naturally compensates and protects against re-injury during a golf swing (which is good), but results in a different spine angle and downswing action and 20-30 yard draw with a 9 iron (which is bad). But, we shall overcome!

Heh, that title has a double meaning -

Exercises for a bad back, or bad exercises for a back?

I am in the same boat as joe here.  Herniated disk L4/L5 treated through various routes:  Chiro, Epidural Steroid Injections, and Physical Therapy.  The physical therapy has been the best of the three because it's lasted the longest.  Chiro seems to work only as long as I keep going, each injection (I've had 3) has lasted anywhere from 6 months to a year, but so far the phys. therapy has kept me going for over a year now, and I feel like as long as I continue the exercises - knock on wood - I'll be OK.  It sounds like I do the same exercises joe mentioned (planks, supermans, yoga stretches).

(Also stress the bold stuff above)

EDIT:  Dangit ... I just realized this thread is, like, a billion years old.

Light Yoga and if it's your lower back try Hip Bridges

Glut Lifts

Planks

Pointers (get on your hands an knees, and extend your right arm out at the same time as your left leg straight out, works the core and back)

These three are pretty back safe, and will work the core.

As for stretches,

Lie on your back, bring your knees to table top, meaning like they would be if you were sitting in a chair, rotate them to one side as far as possible. Hold stretch. Then roll them to the other side and hold stretch.

While lying on your back, keep one leg straight out, and bring your knee towards your chest, you can hold your leg with your hands to apply stretch.

Bend your knees up, like your doing a sit up, cross leg over the other, were your shin touches the thigh. Then bring your bent leg towards you, you should feel a stretch in the glut.

Yup, all of those.  And pointers are the same as supermans (At least when I said it, that's what I meant)

+1 for yoga.  Yoga is awesome.  I'm 6'6" and in my early 20's (I'm now 30) I did some stupid stuff on a snowboard and really tweaked my back.  MRI revealed some minor damage down in the lower part of my back but the sciatica would effing kill to the point where I could barely walk some days.  I went to a chiro who was awesome and he gave me some stretches and told me to try yoga if I wanted.  Once I finally worked up the courage to put in my wife's yoga DVD (Have since moved on the more manly P90X Yoga) my back, legs, hips have all been so much better.  You build up legs and core which takes a great deal of pressure off your back, and the stretches and postures all feel really good.  Can't speak highly enough of yoga.

Gotta be CONSISTENT about stretching too! I went out the other day (finally shot a 78, thank you putter for saving me from my non-GIR self) and didn't stretch first. Am paying the price now.

Can get things ship shape after a week of consistent stretching, but need to stay with it and not just stretch when my back is bad.