Pool exercises for lower back pain are also known as aqua, water or hydro therapy. Water is naturally buoyant and counteracts gravity, thereby causing less impact on your painful joints and spinal column. Water provides a natural resistance to your movements, so your exercises require less effort than land-based versions. According to Myoptumhealth.com, water requires 12 to 14 times more muscle resistance than land exercises. You only need to support 50 percent of your body weight when doing pool exercises, according to Erica Brayton, author of the Sept. 7, 2007, article "Water aerobics: cool way to workout."
Stretching
Decrease your lower back pain by using the pool to stretch your muscles. According to Dr. Andrew Cole, of Spine-Health.com, do a knee-to-chest stretch exercise. With your body immersed in the pool (at least waist deep), hold onto the side with one hand. Or, you can stand with your back to the pool's wall. Stretch your lower back while lifting your knee to your chest. Hold. Return to original position. Repeat. Alternate between leg stretches. This exercise also works your hamstring, quadriceps (thigh) and buttocks muscles.
Water Aerobics
Do water aerobics. Effective pool exercises for lower back pain involve doing a variety of water aerobic maneuvers that can improve your cardiovascular system and provide you with an increased sense of well being. Most land-based exercises can be done in the water. A popular one is known as water walking. While in chest-high water, according to both Spine-Health.com and Dummies.com, walk around the pool's perimeter as you are holding onto the side. Walk forwards, then backwards to get the full affect.
Pretend you are cross country skiing to get an all-body workout, which loosens your lower back muscles, according to Dummies.com.
Strengthening
Do strengthening exercises for your lower back pain. According to Myoptumhealth.com, water provides a natural form of resistance exercise.
Perform a leg raise. While in the pool, stretch and straighten one leg. Your other leg will be slightly bent. One hand holds on to the side of the pool. Your other hand is free. According to Exercisegoals.com and Spine-Health.com, this pool exercise strengthens and stretches your leg, hip and lower back muscles.
Warming Up
Be sure to warm up. Just being in warm water can help warm up your joints. Prior to starting any pool exercise for lower back pain, it is recommended you properly warm up, according to Exercisegoals.com and Dummies.com. This prevents the likelihood of further injury to your body. Do some stretching exercises using gentle, slow movements. Sudden movements can cause harm. A good warm-up exercise can be done by walking the perimeter of the pool, making certain your feet touch the pool's bottom.
Tags: lower back, your lower, your lower back, back pain, lower back pain