26 September 2003

Top tips for men during back care week

Men who think that pilates or yoga are justfor girls should think again.   According to Dr Tom Crisp, the bestway for men to improve posture and develop muscle strength is to attack thebodys core muscles those around the trunk area.  Exercises that willhave the most positive effect without strain are pilates, yoga and swiss ballexercises.  

Men who want to get fit would do well to getin touch with their feminine side at the gym.   Exercises which mayappear to be just for the girls are best, particularly if you want to avoidpainful back problems and injury, said Dr Crisp, sports and orthopaedicspecialist at BUPA Wellness.

The core muscles that fitness fanatics keeptalking about act like a corset around your trunk, take pressure off your backand pull all the other abdominal muscles into the right place. 

Dr Crisps top tips for mens fitness are:

• get in touch with your core muscles they are key to playing sports like football and rugby.  A good way to identify them is to have a big belly laugh.  The muscles that tighten up when you bellow are your core muscles.  The best exercises to develop core strength may appear a bit girly to the average Sunday league player, but remember, its these very same drills that our sporting heroes dedicate time to every week
• take up pilates that helps balance the body.  It makes small but significant differences over time to the way you stand, sit and walk by focusing on exercises that work the abdominal, back and pelvic floor muscles
• try standing balanced on one leg and slowly swing the other leg back and forth (as you would in full running action). Avoid rotating, twisting or dipping your pelvis. Once you have mastered this exercise, practice doing it with your eyes closed
• practise forming a "back brace"  by tightening up your abdominal muscles. You can do this by pulling your belly button inwards without flattening your back, then tightening your pelvic floor muscles as if you were stopping the flow of urine, making sure that your breathing is relaxed while you are holding the brace
• lie on your stomach,  then brace your back and lift opposite arms and legs/arms and legs on one-side or both arms and legs at once. You only need to lift them a few inches, but make sure that your back does not arch at all during this movement
• use a swiss ball or gym ball a large inflatable ball that comes in various different sizes when performing exercises such as abdominal crunches.  It will help you learn to balance and develop strength and can provide extra support and cushioning.
• use a balance or core board a rigid top plate with an inflatable cushion underneath which helps with press-ups, sit ups and some stretching exercises. Begin by planting your feet squarely on the top surface board and then slowly wobble it side to side in controlled movements.  Dont let the edges touch the floor and keep your body erect and your head up.  Now do the same thing but move the board front to back. Finally, rotate the board in controlled circular motions
• try taking a ylass to help you improve your posture and body alignment almost all forms of yoga included relaxation techniques and breathing exercises so its very beneficial for stress levels too
• Astanga yoga is the one to go for if you want a physically demanding workout. It offers a fast-paced series of sequential poses and a continual flow of movements.  It builds strength, flexibility, and stamina but you need to be reasonably fit before you start a class
• If you are unfortunate enough to injure yourself, the most important thing is to ensure you receive the most appropriate treatment for your injury quickly.   Your body is like a car.  If it breaks down because of a mechanical fault, putting air in the tyres will not solve the problem.

BUPAWellness offers a range of specialist musculoskeletal services which areavailable by calling 0800 00 10 10 (quote back care).   BUPA alsohas a wide range of fact sheets and information about mens healthcompiled by a dedicated team of doctors and medical experts.  These,together with a variety of online health tests can be found at the followingweb links: www.bupa.co.uk/men, www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/

Forfurther information contact:

JonathanSollitt-Davis

BUPACorporate Communications 

Tel:020 7656 2877

Sollittdj@bupa.com