Tried Everything For Your Low Back Pain?
What causes back pain for women in midlife?
Unfortunately, it could be a variety of things like osteoarthritis, disc degeneration, or sciatica.
Or it could be caused by poor posture, weak core and glute muscles, or limited mobility that might lead to strains and injuries.
Maybe you’ve tried everything to get rid of that nagging pain.
You got a new mattress.
Changed your sleeping position.
Started doing more yoga or seeing a chiropractor.
But the pain remains, and you’re beginning to feel frustrated and confused.
Perhaps even starting to believe the jokes about “getting older” and dealing with back pain, like it’s just another fact of life.
Not so fast!
Instead of pushing through the pain, I’ve got a couple of simple solutions that can help relieve that pain.
Why This Matters
Constant, low-grade back pain can impact your health more than you realize! Many people who are in very poor health (metabolic diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other musculoskeletal problems) can trace their problems back to an incident of back pain. More on that below…
FITNESS SIMPLIFIED
Did you know that weak glutes are one of the most common culprits for low back pain?
Yep. You read that correctly.
When your glute muscles are out to lunch and failing to do their job, your low back has to compensate and work harder.
Nine times out of ten when someone has low back pain, as soon as we start building up their glute strength, their low back pain "magically" goes away.
Fitness Tip to Get Quality Sleep
Strengthen your glutes!
Here are 3 simple glute-strengthening exercises to help relieve your back pain.
3 Glute Strengthening Exercises
- Clamshells: Activates your “side glutes” (glute medius) for more hip stability and pelvic strength. Do 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps per side.
- Glute Bridges: Strengthens your largest glute muscles (glute maximus) for their primary role - hip extension. Do 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Hip Hinges: Builds glute strength for everyday activities, like bending over and standing upright. Do 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps.
Extra tip: Focus on “stabilizing” and holding your lumbar spine steady while doing each of the motions. Your goal should be to use your glute muscles to move your hips without creating any motion in the spine.
Did You Know...
- 540 million adults suffer from some form of back pain right now! Most of it is mild, it doesn’t require any surgery yet, but it’s impacting their life and ability to do everyday tasks.
- Back pain can lead to a decrease in physical activity, difficulty sleeping, increased chronic stress, decreased motivation to care for your body, and it can be the beginning of a slow decline in your overall health.
- Very rarely will back pain resolve on its own. Most of the time it gets worse because the mechanisms that are causing the pain (usually poor posture, core strength and mobility) don’t get resolved. All things that CAN be fixed!
NUTRITION SIMPLIFIED
Are you drinking enough water?
Imagine it like all of your internal tissues turning into beef jerky.
Yikes!
Can you take a wild guess at what this might lead to?
You got it...
Achiness, stiffness, and general feelings of tightness and soreness throughout your body - especially in your low back and hips.
Nutrition tip to Get Quality Sleep
Stay Hydrated Throughout the Day
If you’re perpetually dehydrated, your muscles, fascia and other connective tissues won’t be able to move and function at their best.
If you’re already great at drinking water, well done!
But if you struggle with this, let’s keep it very simple.
Try drinking a glass of water with your main meals during the day.
When you sit down to eat, get in the habit of pouring yourself a glass of water too.
Sip on it slowly throughout your meal.
Avoid chugging a bunch of water all at once to “make up for it” when you feel thirsty or realize you haven’t been drinking your water.
Slow and steady over the course of the day is best for your body.
Keep an eye on your urine color. Pale yellow indicates that your hydration levels are right where they should be. (It’s normal to have to pee 6-8 times a day!)
One clever way to stay hydrated when you’re bored of plain ol’ water is to include soups in your diet!
Especially during the colder months, this can be an efficient (and delicious!) way to hydrate, nourish, and warm up your body.
Here’s a great soup recipe to try!
Slow Cooker Curry Stew with Chickpeas, Sweet Potatoes
More ideas to stay well hydrated :
- Crockpot Lentil Soup
- Citrus or Berry Green Smoothies
- Fruits & veggies, of course - they’re very hydrating!
MINDSET SIMPLIFIED
Don't let discouragement and defeat stall your progress. 😔
When you’re experiencing pain of any kind, your mindset and mental health can go into a tailspin.
Your motivation and confidence in your body takes a huge hit.
Thoughts like “what’s the point?” can easily creep in.
Remember that there are things within your control.
Focus on those things, no matter how small they might seem.
Don’t just sit back and wait for better health to come to you- newsflash, it won't.
Commit to being an active participant in your healing process by doing what you CAN.
Even if it’s just one small exercise that feels good or drinking more water.
You do not have to just “live with the pain”!
Mindset Tip to Relieve Back Pain
Be an active participant in your healing process.
THE TAKEAWAY
Low back pain for women is a huge and common problem, especially those aged 45-60.
Even if you’ve “done all the right things”, and still experience pain, don’t lose hope.
There are still simple, small steps you can take to relieve the pain, and gain back your energy, confidence, and motivation.💪
- Strengthen your glutes
- Stay hydrated throughout the day
- Be an active participant in your healing process
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Self Care Simplified podcast
Ep 380: The Most Overlooked Cause of Back Pain
Ep 353: Hip or Back Pain - Could Stretching Be The Wrong Solution?
Ep 285: Constant Back Pain - Are Your Hip Flexors to Blame?
SPECIAL RESOURCE
Need a great follow-along routine that’s quick and specifically targets your core and glutes? We recommend this one! Give this a try and be sure to leave a comment to let us know how it feels for you.
Core and Glute Strengthening Routine.
Until next week... Be strong
