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World of back health
Leisure time
Free time is exercise time
Convenience in everyday life is our biggest downfall. It is an advantage if you find a suitable recreational sport to compensate. There are a few things to bear in mind to ensure that this truly benefits your back.
"My morning starts with ten pull-ups on the horizontal bar in my garden," says Ulrich Kuhnt, sports teacher and head of the Hannover Back School. He knows exactly how to keep fit in his free time. What pull-ups are for one person, jogging in the woods, cycling to work or an after-work yoga class is for another. All these leisure activities are good for your health and, if done correctly, for your back. "Just half an hour a day of aerobic exercise, or endurance sport makes a big difference," explains Kuhnt. Precisely because most people spend the majority of their day sitting, they should balance this with as much activity as possible. The consequences of sitting for too long become noticeable: the muscles break down, lose stability and back pain develops. Stress can exacerbate this, as many people don't realize how cramped their posture is due to the hectic pace of everyday life. Only when they calm down do they feel the painful consequences of too much tension.
Leisure sports - but the right way!
This makes it all the more important to do something good for your back in the long term with a suitable leisure activity - and have fun at the same time. "I only continue to do what I enjoy," says the sports teacher. Use this willingness as motivation and listen to your body.
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Am I more the "get out into nature" type and enjoy activity such as inline skating or jogging? Am I the gym type or do I prefer fitness classes? Or do I l prefer to use sports equipment within my own four walls? No matter what sport, the main thing is that you go about it the right way. Recreational sports with the wrong equipment can quickly backfire. If your toe pinches while jogging, you don't have the right footwear and are basically doing more wrong than right. The cushioning system plays a particularly important role in the shoe. As a core element of every back-friendly shoe, it compensates for impact and pressure force when walking.
When cycling, you should also make sure that the saddle fits the individual cyclist and is easy on the back to avoid pain. A completely new alternative for people who can no longer cycle traditionally due to health problems is a stepper bike. This outdoor fitness equipment combines cycling with running, is very easy on the joints and back and is really fun.
Wurther links
Tips, information, checklists and produkt lists for:
∗ Bicycles and accessories
∗ Stepper bikes
Back-friendly equipment? Check!
"Before you train with sports equipment, you need to make individual adjustments to prevent poor posture, otherwise you'll quickly lose interest in recreational sports," says Kuhnt. You don't have to go to a professional gym or physiotherapist for effective back training.
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ZaThere is sports equipment which is suitable for use at home and offers the ideal solution for back training in all situations. For example, if you move on a mini trampoline during your evening, you activate every single cell in your body. This is good for the heart and circulation, promotes the respiratory system and improves coordination. The gentle vibrations train the back muscles, protect the joints and provide a high fun factor. Even people with restricted mobility can use the mini trampoline.
Further links
Tips, information, checklists and product lists for:
∗ Mini trampolines
"My morning starts with ten pull-ups on the horizontal bar in my garden."
Ulrich Kuhnt
Sports teacher and head of the back school in Hanover
"Just half an hour a day of aerobic exercise or endurance sport makes a big difference."
Ulrich Kuhnt
Swinging for more stability
Or you can simply "swing" a swing stick while watching the news. Two weights are attached to the ends of this highly elastic sports equipment so that leg, back, shoulder and arm muscles can be trained particularly effectively.
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Three times a week for 10 to 15 minutes is enough to improve coordination, strengthen the core muscles and stabilize the spine. But as with all sports equipment, keep your eyes open when buying products! "First and foremost, you should look out for the seal of approval from the Healthy Back Campaign. This ensures that the criteria for ergonomics and back health are met," explains Kuhnt. " Good operating instructions are also very important, as is expert sales advice in advance."
Further links
Tips, information, checklists and product lists for:
∗ Vibration bars
Let's get started with training!
If you have the right equipment, you then need to know how to train properly with it. If you don't want to visit a fitness coach every day you can find numerous, certified online training programs where you can train your back under professional guidance and do a whole range of exercises at the same time.
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But one thing is important, says sports teacher Kuhnt: "It's all in the mix! One-sided movements are not sufficient. For example, it is not enough to train only the abdominal muscles or to use only the fascia roll. It is important to train the various basic motor skills, which are your strength, endurance, flexibility and coordination."
Further links
Tips, information, checklists and product lists for:
∗ Online training programs
∗ Fascia treatment
∗ Balance cushion
∗ Excercise balls
∗ Exercise Mats
∗ Training tubes
Not into sports? - No problem!
It is also a fact that it does not always have to be an extensive cardio program. Everyday movements do much more than you think. First and foremost is the classic: Climbing stairs instead of taking the elevator. "It's important to exercise regularly and consistently, i.e. to lead an active lifestyle," says Kuhnt.
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It is also a fact that it does not always have to be an extensive cardio program. Everyday movements do much more than you think. First and foremost is the classic: Climbing stairs instead of taking the elevator. "It's important to exercise regularly and consistently, i.e. to lead an active lifestyle," says Kuhnt.
Book tip
The back book for the lazy
Never again on the mat: The somewhat different exercise book by Ulrich Kuhnt TRIAS Verlag Available in any bookstore or online.
More movement in everyday life…
According to the World Health Organization, an adult should exercise at a high intensity for 75-150 minutes per week - alternatively 150-300 minutes per week at a moderate level (such as walking).
That's what happens when we sit for too long:
After one minute:
The activity of the lower limbs stops. Almost no more calories are burned.
After 20 minutes:
Our intervertebral discs lose an enormous amount of fluid and therefore volume. This impairs their buffer function, which can lead to incorrect posture and irreparable damage in the long term.
After 60 minutes:
The blood vessels and lymph vessels of the hip only have around 50 percent of their volume, as they are squeezed while sitting. This can cause congestion or swelling in the lower body.
Prolonged inactivity means…
That the heart and brain are no longer supplied with sufficient oxygen: The metabolism slows down, brain function decreases, thinking becomes difficult and we become tired.
"Back problems can affect amateur and competitive athletes, especially in sports that involve a lot of twisting - e.g. golf, tennis or table tennis. That's why we always do 360-degree core training, i.e. upper body training in different positions. I recommend training your back a lot lying down or standing up. We do enough sitting in everyday life. This can be with your own body weight, with a mini-band or even stretching and mobilization."
Lukas Lai
Physiotherapist B.Sc., sports physiotherapist for the German Olympic Sports Confederation, athletics trainer for the German Basketball Federation and the German Basketball League
In a short interview, Lukas Lai provides insights into complaints during sport and gives tips.
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Mr. Lai, what are the most common complaints from athletes?
Lai: The most common complaints can be divided into three groups: Muscular complaints, chronic overuse which usually includes back pain or osteoarthritis of the knee and then acute injuries. In basketball, it's mostly feet and knees.
Which sports are particularly affected by back pain?
Lai: In my experience, these are sports that involve a lot of twisting. For example, in golf or tennis, where we have some players with back problems, or in table tennis.
What role does the back play in relation to the whole body?
Lai: The back should be seen as the centre of the entire body. It is also often referred to as the "core". The extremities must be able to move around this centre. If this is not stable, there is a loss of power and the likelihood of injury increases. Consequently, the back is quite a high priority!
Which exercises/movements do you use to make professional athletes back fit?
Lai: We always try to train 360 degrees - we also call it 360-degree core training. This is back training or upper body training in various positions. So not only on the floor, but also standing, balancing on one leg or in a side support - i.e. 360 degrees in different positions.
What exercises can you recommend for everyday life?
Lai: If we are already sitting so much in our everyday lives then the exercises we do in between should not be done sitting down. You can train your core and back very well standing up or lying down - the main thing is to get away from sitting.
How do you personally look after your back health in everyday life?
Lai: In my own workouts, I always try to include core exercises in the warm-up or do a few more exercises in the evening after work. This can be with your own body weight, with a small mini-band or even a few stretches and mobilizations.
Are there areas where you yourself attach particular importance to back friendly design?
Lai: No, not really. Personally, I start with myself and prepare my back very well for the environment. Not the other way around! A regularly and well-trained, stable back does not need to be wrapped in cottonwool.
Further information
We test and certify back-friendly products. Trust in the "World of back health Leisure time" on:
