The most important part of my mission here on Steemit is to make sure that all my fellow Steemians have good health and can enjoy a long life without pain.

Creating and curating content is an activity that makes us stay sitting down during a few hours a day, which can be hazardous for our wellbeing.

Unfortunately, I speak from experience.

Due to my office job and my own content creation, I spend an average of 50 hours a week sitting on a chair looking at a screen.

Even though I’ve always been training, running and playing football, this sedentary lifestyle resulted in a massive pain in my lower back two years ago.

The pain was so bad that I couldn't walk straight for one week, and I had to take paracetamol and Valium to be able to sleep at night. The doctors said that I should take them for a couple of months, and then we would check if I needed x-rays and further treatment.

I was really scared. I knew a few members of my family and friends that were suffering from back problems since their late forties, and I didn't want to share their bad luck.

So I decided to do what none of them were doing: to train my pain away.

I started researching online for exercises, routines and stretches for the back. Learned as much as I could about the back anatomy and the importance of posture. And then I tried them myself and found which worked for me, until I developed a routine that I practise religiously every single day.

And it worked!

In just two weeks the pain almost disappeared. Sometimes I completely forgot about it, only noticing it when I stood up after sitting for a couple of hours. The first day that I went to the park and was able to run I almost burst into tears.

I stopped taking the meds and carried on with my back routine – and, to this day, the pain has never come back.

If you have had the same problem, or know someone that suffers from it, here is the routine that saved me.

There's nothing that I have invented myself – you can find these exercises anywhere online – but these are the ones that I can vouch for.

I love this routine because it is:

Quick: once you get used to the exercises, you can get it done in less than ten minutes.
Easy: you can do all these movements even if you have never done any sport or training.
Flexible: you don't need any equipment to do it, and you don't need a big space either. Your body is your gym!
Repeatable: as it doesn't exhaust you, you can do it as many times a day as you want.
Scalable: you can add extra difficulty to all the exercises if you want.

Does it sound good? Okay, enough with the theory, let's cut to the chase.

A daily routine for a strong spine:

1) Knees to Chest

Laying down on the floor completely stretched, bring your right knee to your chest as you expire. Hold it for a few seconds, then stretch it as you inspire.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/19305062e18c89b1f6e57facd9932c6c1e5c9955975c5b10131a1e7e7145b27458c4813a.jpg

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/737710594e40dd5a9ca153928ecc61d2491232f4117c319ef08f0446b4d21aa3778c60c0.jpg

Same operation with your left knee.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/480019515f96086178c5848d423748e8e441feeb7b404f89601ae773c4428a33b49ff745.jpg

Now bring both knees to your chest as you expire.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/28210570a3066418ffd44cfdbadadbc9f308e24177f0237accf8a07dd74214676f92b7c0.jpg

2) Knee Rolls and Knee Twists

With your knees close to your chest, slowly rotate both your legs to the right as you inspire. Keep both your shoulders touching the ground, hold the position for a few seconds, feel the tension in your spine.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/35439054d58eeb9b169b67b354ac38888332e82b4d8c5ddbc15bc8b446ef10c2305e7087.jpg

Bring the knees back to the chest as you expire. Now rotate to the left.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/02651459050259fc15cba7fdac34aa3593781b700968cc157f35be24a1d36a0677dd0e96.jpg https://serving.photos.photobox.com/826085718dc3390fbc9145e568e5fd440a6cbb55d5b7769b383da9a9774aead32d1737b6.jpg

Bring them back to the chest.

Now stretch your right leg, keeping your left leg close to the chest, and rotate to the right as you expire. Hold for a few seconds. https://serving.photos.photobox.com/23564361a03ff7ba8f58bc25eac9cbaf012e78bb1ab96344b00a369dbd478e3b12324c73.jpg https://serving.photos.photobox.com/00186374fa176f17a00569bc4e4d79e431e819313df60902c7888193f82b2b2dd16fec32.jpg Then stretch your leg until you are laying down completely stretched.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/811325997a0c022bc9a1af12cf7b935891b41e46b89007c12b7e206004e24afc3ca15acd.jpg

Bring to the chest only your right leg, and rotate to the left as you expire. Hold for a few seconds.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/557987860a1e797048ee17cce9f210527e41270ce6bd48eef65d4839e63b5e030af8ade1.jpg

*NOTE: Go very easy with these rotations, especially at first, when your learning the exercise and your limits, do not force yourself, or you will provoke an injure!

3) Cat/Cow Stretch

Now get on your knees, facing the ground with your arms open shoulderwidth.

Inspire as you raise your head and lower your back, resembling a cat stretching.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/4483020050c7410d8e210f3ca685d74cdec58aef016dca4dd3c03351734f6fe221f5c9a5.jpg

Then, slowly lower your head and your ass, as you raise your back and expire.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/71382638e68a2c81fcd624845a6d9db4dbd8b621b378f764dfb56bc3efa933179a4c9b5e.jpg

Repeat this ten times.

4) Arm + Leg Raises

In the same initial position than exercise 3, now raise your left arm in front of you, as you raise your right leg.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/2242216816e7e8b4df0d6805335ff1a670106b24630cd727cc1ab7c730262f18c17ffe23.jpg

Now raise your right arm and your left leg.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/71384260d659519847b2be525e08c2d8e08dfd90dbcc2c923bf33418415ea5d6f6c96933.jpg

Repeat this ten times.

5) Mountain + Lunges

From the previous exercise initial posture, raise up your knees until your body resembles a mountain, the more you stretch your hamstrings, the best. If at first you can't keep them completely outstretched, bent them slightly, with time you'll earn flexibility.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/78716496fdbd70ccad7a26b1b554e49740bcc457e1ee48e32831e214c4bda76916616a3c.jpg

Then, move forward your right leg as much as you can, keep your left leg completely streched, with the top of foot facing the ground. Hold for a few seconds, breath normally and feel the tension.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/29261715c5b093a58ca0a9b15e7ea38354434e5a9b20c57c07a30b591420328904155078.jpg

Go back to the "mountain" pose. Now repeat the movement but with your left leg.

Repeat 5 times with each leg.

6) Back Extensions (aka Cobra stretch) + Restful pose

For this exercise, lay down facing the ground. Place your hands at your chest height and then use your arms to push your trunk up as you inspire. Feel the tension in your lower back.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/73853549811833a883417e3ae3d48cc5863cc72cbfa1f44ac39eb1b920e752a4546b38d2.jpg https://serving.photos.photobox.com/49546705e7d4ba3336c45eea90a34abb4728b335898d5c571ec7308d5275fc32e9d02c0a.jpg

Repeat this ten times.

To finish it, place your knees on the ground and "sit" on your feet, as you keep your arms stretched in front of you.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/2993946039bc09d25d2bcfcbd202fff9e73483bdb0a1faecded895bb5ecc0b6a59a9f729.jpg

7) Lateral Plank series

Lay on the left side of your body, place your left elbow and the side your left feet on the ground and lift your body. Hold for a few seconds.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/86479778f6cb769c5c253b26d5261193931b6799f0d8bd6905dfe67c5b334c425418369b.jpg

Repeat this with your right side.

Optional: Add a classic plank to further strengthen your core.

*NOTE: The best way to prevent lower back pain is having a strong midsection, commonly known as abdominals. Strong core muscles will take away effort from your back. At the beginning, find a position that is comfortable for you and start mastering it, with some time you´ll be able to hold it for a longer time.

8) Simple Bridges

Laying down on the ground, bent your knees until your feet are a few inches away from your butt. Places your arms on the ground and make sure that your shoulders are perfectly stable.

Push your butt up as you inspire. Hold there for a few seconds.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/0377107980abdca996bf7067c3d744a78f6088d2cd69fd44b29bb9144cdf42b7cf4b9262.jpg https://serving.photos.photobox.com/884232705c52ad9bd9432fb59ef993521d4ec1645312a765a0271e049d1dbc8211662035.jpg

Repeat this ten times.

9) Simple Twists

Laying down on the ground with your legs outstretched and your trunk up, bent your right leg until your foot is at the same height as your left knee.

Then turn your trunk to your right, using your right arm as a support on the ground, while placing your left arm agaisnt your right knee. Alow your head to naturally follow the direction of your trunk. Hold for a few seconds.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/67904157022f91b8e0d0e7c3df51ae50c0dcb63faaf5ae86ccf5ebcd91060563f387b64f.jpg https://serving.photos.photobox.com/51942712c45b8277d0a5c00009362e5774379af98da12f3285bbaed49f4a4c6d62f60f3d.jpg https://serving.photos.photobox.com/22469312f1e19da23f35ca05f41dd74b8723308af3ccdb39d14b48762f76e26486649cff.jpg

Go back to the initial position and repeat turning to your left.

Repeat three times per side.

10) Hamstring Stretches

This is just the classic leg stretch we used to do at school. From a squatting position, stretch your right leg as much as you can, now try to reach your foot or as far as you can with your hand. Hold for a few seconds.

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/67846104c4ca18fde361e6cae682574f240900cf7a97ed0e51092bc7b1d708b7592007e1.jpg

Repeat with your left leg.

And that's it!

The difficulty of this routine can be easily increased just by adding sets and holding time, but I recommend to master it for a couple of months until you are confident with the movements.

At first it might look a bit hard to grasp, but I promised you that it's worth a try.

It worked for me, and it will do it for you too!

If you liked this post, please consider to give an upvote and resteem it, and leave your thoughts and comments below. I'll be more than happy to answer any questions about the routine itself or my experience in healing my back.

PS.
I've been told that is customary to add a picture of yourself in your Steemit presentation post. I wasn't aware of this, but as they say, better later than never, here it is!

https://serving.photos.photobox.com/127270185e1d5478ad9a7b9c4fd865768137a3c53036f18386c99cc9171401e105ba8726.jpg

For more content on fitness, nutrition and random stories, hit the follow button!

Thanks for reading,

Toni
@tonimani