Wednesday, June 27, 2001

Back pain common in Americans

Long hours on the job while sitting in front of a computer is a surefire recipe for back pain ­ an affliction that will strike nearly 85 percent of the population at some time in their life.

That chilling statistic from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons is believed to be conservative, given the proliferation of computer-related work and an economy that demands longer hours from workers.

Fortunately, innovative exercise tools such as inflatable exercise balls, called FitBalls that are suitable for office and home can help individuals prevent back pain and strengthen their core muscles at the same time.

Middle Management

The key to relieving back pain or preventing it before it begins is to strengthen the body's core muscles. These include not only the abdominal muscles, but also the lower back muscles, the obliques and the gluteus maximus.

One way to strengthen these muscles while you're at work is to sit on an exercise ball, called a FitBall, instead of on an office chair. Sitting on a FitBall Exercise Ball while working at a desk even for small periods of time during the workday improves posture and back health by strengthening the muscles that surround the spine.

When you sit on a FitBall Exercise Ball at work, you can't completely relax your muscles like you can when you sit in an office chair. That's because the ball isn't stable. So, when you sit on a FitBall, your back muscles along your spine must make tiny adjustments to balance, which helps strengthen your core muscles while you work.

Sitting on the ball also helps increase blood flow to key muscle groups, helping business people stay more alert, work longer and feel better. The balls, which come in different sizes and colors, range in price from $23 to $30 and are available online at www.fitball.com.

"For proper posture when sitting on the ball, make sure your knees are at a 90-degree angle," said Merry Lester, president of Denver Physical Therapy, who treats patients with orthopedic and sports-related injuries. A recommended FitBall size chart is as follows:

Height 4'8" to 5'3"

Ball size 55cm

Height 5'3" to 6'0"

Ball size 65 cm

Height 6'0" to 6'7"

Ball size 75 cm

In addition to providing back-friendly seating at work, the FitBall Exercise Ball is an inexpensive and easy-to-use exercise tool for core strength training.

The American Council on Exercise predicts that core strength training exercises will increase in popularity this year, as exercisers recognize their value for weight management, osteoporosis and overall health.

Here are three ways to strengthen your core muscles.

Crunch and Punch: Sit down on the ball and put the small of your back against it with your arms extended out in front of you. Then, contract those ab muscles and crunch forward while you pull your elbows back. Next, sit straight up on the ball and move your fists up to your face as if you're blocking a punch. Then, finish off with a right jab in front of you. Repeat 10 times, alternating your punches. This exercise is guaranteed to work out your upper abs, tough-to-isolate lower abs and obliques all at the same time.

Back to Basics: Plant your feet on the floor and relax your body, facing downward, over the ball. Clasp both hands behind your head. Then, in one movement, arch your upper body up off the ball and then relax again. Repeat 10 times. This exercise works your back muscles ­ the smaller ones work to stabilize you on the ball, while the bigger muscles perform the exercise.

Bottoms Up: Lie on the floor on your back with the ball placed underneath your calves. Extend your arms out to your sides and raise your bottom up off the floor so that your weight is on your shoulders and arms. (This move will likely challenge your balance.) Once you're secure in that position, bend your knees and use your feet to pull the ball back toward you. Repeat 10 times. You'll feel this exercise where it counts in the gluteus maximus.

Once you are comfortable with the recommended number of repetitions for each of these exercises, add two more repetitions for each session.