Back pain is a common ailment felt by many of us, especially as we get older. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence states that around 60 percent of adults report suffering from lower back pain at least once in their lives.
It is also the single largest cause of disability in the UK, with lower back pain accounting for 11 percent of all disabilities.
While it may seem like something we don’t have much control over as we age, there are steps we can take to strengthen our backs and minimise pain.
One expert took to social media platform TikTok, to share her simple at-home routine to help prevent back pain.
Fitness guru Niki Wibrow said: “Do you suffer from backache? Try these morning stretches to ease back pain. At home workouts for the over 50s.”
She shared three easy stretches you can do at home:
- Travelling cat to cow
- Knee drops
- Bicycle knee to nose.
Travelling cat to cow
According to Niki, this step will help to “release tension in the spine”.
Demonstrating this move on a yoga mat she positioned her knees on the floor with her head down and arms outstretched.
She then changed position, bringing her head up and making her back arched.
Knee drops
This will ease tension from the pelvis, she said.
Niki sat up with her hands slightly behind her back more than shoulder width apart, touching the floor.
She kept her knees bent up and together while turning them from side to side
Bicycle knee to nose
This releases the lower back and hips, she assured viewers.
Lying flat down, you bring one knee up and hold it in place with your hands. You then touch it with your nose.
You then alternate knees a few times before touching the nose to the knees again.