Weightlifting to Alleviate Back Painby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 09 Apr 2009 01:58 PM Forget about paying $100 for a 60-minute massage; according to a new study you are better off lifting weights to ease lower back pain. Researchers from the University of Alberta say people who add weight training to their fitness regime experience less back pain than those who participate solely on other forms of exercise, such as tennis, jogging or biking. The study followed people suffering with chronic back pain as they participated in a 16-week exercise program. The participants were split into two groups. The first group completed resistance training using dumbbells, barbells and other load-bearing exercise equipment. The second group took part in aerobic training such as jogging, walking on a treadmill or using an elliptical machine. The study showed a 60 percent improvement in pain and function levels for the resistance-training group. In contrast, the study participants who took part in aerobic training to ease their back pain only experienced a 12 percent improvement. Researchers maintain that any activity that makes you feel better is something you should pursue, but the study results indicate that you can achieve better back pain management from resistance training. "The extra benefits stem from using the whole-body approach required in resistance training," the study's author wrote. "We tried to strengthen the entire body and by doing that, we decreased the fatigue people felt throughout the day. They were better able to perform their activities of daily living." Bottom line: Aerobic activity did little to lessen lower back pain. Researchers note that aerobic training generally works the lower body, which may be one of the reasons why study participants did not experience much in the way of pain relief. Researchers were also quick to point out that both the weightlifting exercises and the cardio work did provide fitness benefits, such as lower body fat. Related Articles: Weight Lifting and the Elderly Creating a Challenging Workout Routine Exercising on the Road: No Excuses Why You Want to Build Muscle as You Age Creating a Fitness Routine that Works for You Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevantfitness tags parenting | relationships | weight loss | ideas | Kids | pregnancy | Food | children | family | holidays User Comments  Will Werner (11) 12 Apr 2009 03:15 PMIts scary and unfortunate how many people would rather spend hundreds of dollars to get momentary pain relief rather than lift weights to get long-lasting relief from back pain!!! I find it somewhat ridiculous that some think that weightlifting causes PERMANENT back pain. The only reason a weightlifter experiences long-lasting back pain is because of BAD FORM/TECHNIQUE! Well, at least we know the truth. There are dozens of helpful articles on how to reduce back pain on Infonian.com. Many of the techniques listed on the site have taught me how to correctly rid permanent back pain from my life. Good luck with all your future fitness endeavors! Community Tags back, back pain, fitness, weightlifting Discuss this article
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