One moment of overextending yourself can lead to years of physical therapy and doctors visits to help keep your sports-related back pain at bay. Trainers and physical therapists constantly remind us to keep the abs engaged when completing any exercise, but to really strengthen your entire trunk, you must work it beyond the gym. Since most of us sit at a desk most hours of our waking day, our Read more

This week I replaced my office chair with an exercise ball. Aside from being fun to bounce around on while blogging, sitting on a ball over a regular desk chair has other benefits. If you're desk-bound, here are some reasons to consider swapping out your chair for a stability ball. Better Posture With no chair back to slouch into or armrests to lean on, you're almost forced to keep your back Read more

A new study has found that yoga isn't just good for the mind — for chronic back pain sufferers, yoga and stretching can alleviate pain and reduce dependency on pain medication. The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, split 228 back pain sufferers into three treatment groups: yoga class, stretching class, or at-home self-care with a back pain book. The yoga group's therapy Read more

When stretching out the lower body, the hips often get passed over in favor of the calves, quads, and hamstrings. Bad idea! Hip flexors are what help lift the legs while running, which means they are prone to tightness. Even if you don't run, but you sit a lot during the day, you're probably tight in your hips, so get a stretching! There's also an added bonus to incorporating some Pigeon Pose Read more

Downward Facing Dog is practically the definition of yoga. This basic pose is one of the first you'll learn in a class, and also the one you'll do most often. If you're new to yoga, with time, Down Dog may become your favorite pose as your body grows stronger and more limber. But if this pose causes you pain, here are some ways to get relief. Tight Hamstrings and Calves: If you're a runner, sit Read more

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. If you've ever had back pain, you know it's the worst. You can't move without it aching, and almost any chore ends up feeling like a workout. Thankfully, there are some easy ways to get back pain relief; many of which take almost no time at all! Massage. If you're wondering how to relieve back pain, one of the easiest Read more

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar! We know planks and dead-lifts are great, but the real question is, how can they help relieve your aching back? Back pain affects about 8 out of 10 people, according to the National Institutes of Health, and is one of the most common medical problems. It's costly too — in 2004, a team from Duke University found that Read more

While teaching a Vinyasa Yoga class Saturday morning, I noticed three of my students shifting around while in Savasana (aka corpse pose), the relaxation pose done at the end of class where you lie on your back and just breathe. Afterward I asked if they were uncomfortable, and they all complained of an aching lower back. It seems like an oxymoron that a resting pose would be so unbearable, but Read more

Hi Fit! I've been going to the gym regularly for some time now. I do cardio and some strength training and I thought I was fit. Then I started a part-time job gardening. Now I'm wrangling hoses, hauling wheelbarrows and plants all over the place, digging, and squatting while weeding and planting. It is kicking my ass. Yesterday my back was just killing me after just three hours of planting fifty Read more