Splash! Gentle Pool Exercises to Address Back Pain

Summertime is here, and everyone wants to be in the pool! If you have back pain, you may think you can’t join the fun or get in a quality workout, but the pool offers an ideal opportunity for rehabilitation. You don’t feel your full weight, you don’t have to experience normal impact, and the resistance of the water allows you to exercise more slowly, gently, and carefully. As you enjoy the water, remember that it can help you build strength to overcome back pain—as long as you keep the following things in mind!

Helpful Supplies

Before beginning any workout, make sure you have all the tools and supplies you need to be successful. Water essentials include a towel, flip-flops, and a swimsuit, but floatation items like noodles or kickboards can also be helpful. If you plan to be in deep water, a floatation belt can help you focus on your movements, not only on treading water.

Warm Up and Cool Down

Regardless of the kind of workout you do, you need to spend a few minutes before you start and after you end your main workout to warm up and cool down. Failing to take these steps could result in further injury. For a water workout, waist-deep lunges, walking, or even jogging for about five minutes is a great way to get your heart starting to pump and slow down afterward without straining anything.

Hip Exercises

At first, strengthening your hips may seem unrelated to back pain, but your range of motion in your hips greatly impacts your lower back. Walking sideways for 20 steps and walking back can open your hips and give your back more flexibility.

A couple of kicking techniques allow you to get moving and workout your lower back. For one of them, keep your knees straight and alternate bringing each one forward. You can do this either holding onto the side or with a noodle or kickboard to hold onto for your upper body. Several sets of 10 reps can add levels of difficulty and give you chances to improve and make the workout harder in the future.

Core Exercises

Abdominal muscles directly affect your back and need to be exercised if you want to work through back pain. In the water, float with your body vertically. (Here’s where a floatation belt or device comes in handy.) Bring your knees up as close to your stomach as you can and then straighten them down again. Another exercise is bringing your knees up and rotating them side to side. This one allows you to twist your spine in a low-impact environment. Finally, you can stand in shallow water on one leg with the other brought high behind you. In this stance, your body needs to maintain balance, which engages your core.

If you plan to spend some time in the pool this summer, you might as well fit in a workout that can help your back feel better. This setting is perfect to alleviate your discomfort and to work towards better health. That way, you can participate in the other adventures of the summer.

About the Author

Dr. Zinovy Chukhman, who is normally called Dr. Z by his patients, began in injury rehabilitation in sports more than 25 years ago. As a chiropractor, he works with various types of pain and injuries with multiple approaches. He offers traditional chiropractic care as well as cutting-edge therapies, such as cold laser treatment. Dr. Z is one of few chiropractors to be certified in all four levels by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners. To get more rehab exercise ideas, make an appointment with Dr. Z at AlignRight Injury & Rehab in Dallas by scheduling online or calling our office at 972-907-2800.