Back pain is common. Now that the Netherlands is working en masse at home, back problems are increasing. Are you moving less now? Do you sit at the kitchen table and work from your laptop? Chances are you suffer from a stiff back and neck. What can you do to reduce and prevent back pain? Studio C Online gives advice!
Back pain can have many causes, including poor posture and incorrectly performing various body movements throughout the day. Often, however, weak core muscles are the main cause of back pain.
Your core consists of 29 muscles in your abdomen, lower back and pelvic area. These muscles form the corset of your body, as it were. They help you with all daily activities, such as carrying a heavy shopping bag, lifting your child, but also climbing stairs, getting up and sitting down. It is therefore important that these muscles are strong, so that you get a better posture and back problems and injuries are reduced or prevented.
Read also: 'How much should you exercise during the coronavirus'
Whether you already suffer from back problems, or whether you are starting to develop back problems due to working from home; movement is the key to success. Taking regular short breaks while working behind your laptop is important. In addition, it is good to move a little longer every two hours. This can be done, for example, by taking a brisk walk, or by dancing through your room to your favorite music. But what else can you do, so that you also solve or prevent back problems in the long term?
Barre has been a hugely popular workout for a number of years now. Although you hear a lot less about it in the Netherlands than in America. Barre was developed by a professional ballet dancer. Due to a back injury, she started to combine her dance routine with back exercises. This led to a new workout. In 1959 she started her own studio in London. In 1971, an American student introduced the workout to America. The first barre studio in New York was a fact. It became hugely popular and eventually spread to Europe.
Barre is basically a combination of ballet, pilates and yoga. Often functional strength exercises are also added. The result? A strong, tight and feminine body.
What makes barre unique are the isometric movements that are frequently used. These are small movements (pulses) in a certain position. You train the endurance of the muscles with this. It lights up, and yet you persevere. This gives you that strong, yet feminine body.
During the barre class you do many exercises and stretches that reduce back pain and make the back stronger. Here are a few favorites:
We just mentioned that strengthening your core is the key to preventing and reducing back pain. The plank, on knees or feet, is an excellent exercise to effectively target the core muscles.
This is a core stability exercise. You sit on your hands and knees and extend one leg. You keep your hips straight and stable. You're making length in your neck. There are all kinds of variations with which you can make this exercise even more challenging and effective.
In this exercise, you push the rib cage into the floor, lifting only your hips and waist. There are many variations of the exercise in almost every barre workout. Big movements up and down, small pulses, tiptoe and dance with the hips. The latter in particular activates many different muscles in your abdomen, lower back and pelvic floor area.
In all the years that I teach Studio Barre, I have seen many women get rid of back problems. We also regularly hear that running injuries are solved by only following Studio Barre for a while. It is a nice, accessible work-out for everyone. Definitely worth a try! Do you want to read more about Studio Barre? Check here for more info and a short fragment from the barre workout. Do you want to experience a very harsh work-out? Then join us via this link!
Christina and Heidy are founders of the online workout platform Studio C Online.
As working moms, they know how busy life can be. With Studio C Online they therefore want to make it easier to plan sports in your life, because you can do it from home.
They offer great workouts full of variety and energy. Christina is a born entertainer. Her energy bursts through the screen. We often hear:“Christina's enthusiasm makes a workout over in no time”. “It's like Christina is in my living room.”
In this way they hope to motivate women again and again to KEEP training. This is so important. Not only for your physical health, but also for how you feel mentally.
