Exercises for Back Pain You Can Do at Home, a guest post from Annabelle. Have you ever bent over to pick something up and as soon as you stood back up you knew something was wrong? Or, maybe it was a sports injury, or even totally random and seemingly without cause… Regardless of the cause of the back pain, it hurts and it can come on at any time – leaving you irritable and making it hard to go about daily life. Whether it is lower back pain or upper back pain, or somewhere in between, the real task once it starts is relieving the pain. Some people choose not to take medication, while others find that is just is not working as well as they would like. Either way, there is an alternative option… Exercise is a great natural remedy for back pain. It loosens up and tones the muscles in your back and can help restore strength to that pulled muscle. If done regularly, exercise can also help strengthen your back, which might alleviate the pain for good or help you alleviate most of the risk of having it again. However, it is no secret that life keeps us busy – between your personal and professional life, you probably don’t find too much extra time to go to the gym. And, it is especially hard to go on a day when you are already in pain… But, when searching for info on how to relieve your back pain, consider these relieving exercises you can do from the comfort of your home or even while you are at work: Bicycle Moves If you just got rid of your rusty old bike because you don’t ride it any longer, don’t worry, you actually don’t even need a bike for this exercise. Simply lay on your back and raise your legs, bending at the knee as though you were sitting on a bike. Keep your arms flat at your side for balance and move your legs as if you were pushing the peddles on your bike. Crunches Crunches are probably an exercise you mastered in elementary physical education class… Little did you know they might relieve your back pain 20 years down the road. Lay on your back, bend your knees, but keep your feet planted firmly on the ground. Simply cross your arms behind your head or over your chest and use your abdomen and back muscles to pull yourself up – only pulling yourself up into a half-sitting position. Hamstring Stretches Getting in the same simple position of laying on the floor flat on your back, bend one knee and keep the other one straight. Raise your leg that has remained straight up in the air, slowly pulling the leg back toward your face. Wall Sits If you are a little skeptical of lying completely on the floor, try giving wall sits a shot. Although your thighs will feel the burn, at least the wall is there to help guide you. Stand about 10 to 12 inches away from the wall, lean back until your back is flat against the wall, and lower into a squatted position. Hold for a count of 10 seconds, then slowly slide back up and repeat. Press-Ups This exercise has you back on the floor, but lying on your stomach this time… Lie on your stomach with your hands placed under your shoulders. Use your hands to push up so your shoulders begin to lift off the floor. This will slightly work your lower back as you work to raise the top half of your body. Back pain is never comfortable, but these exercises might just be the answer you have been looking for.Do you know what the best part is? They only take a few minutes! What are you waiting for? Your stronger back is waiting for you.