Frank Mikulka's

Weekly Fitness Tip

May 9, 2004


Question:
I’m upper middle-aged and I seem to have lower back problems. Well, more or less, I feel like I am falling apart. Can strength training stop the decline? (Maury, West Hempstead)

Answer:
It’s good that you recognize what can happen to the body when you stop playing high school ball. But seriously, your lower back problems mirror 80% of the population. Symptoms vary and include: a nagging, aching pain in the area, a pain that feels like an electric shock, or a pain in the lower back that radiates down a leg.

Some of these symptoms are caused by tight hamstrings, poor posture or weak abdominals.

Schedule an exercise program with a trainer to insure proper form and execution:

  • Warm-ups and cool downs
  • Basic total body strength. Stick to balanced programs to enhance the whole body without imbalances and weak link muscles.
  • Core stability and abdominal work
  • Stretching programs for the hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, and erector spinae muscles.

Summer tip: When working around the house, cleaning out the garage, and gardening:

  • Bend your legs when lifting
  • Lift balanced loads
  • Try not to lift higher than the waist
  • Exhale on the lift

Listen to Frank Mikulka’s Weekly Fitness Tips every week on Debbie Mandel’s Turn On Your Inner Light Show every Sunday morning from 7:30 to 8:00 AM on WHLI 1100 AM. Also available on www.turnonyourinnerlight.com/page3.html