Can Your Back Hurt From Being Overweight?
Can Lower Back Back Hurt From Being Overweight?
It often happens that people who are overweight complain of back pain, specifically in the lower back. But, is it possible that back hurt from being overweight?
Yes, it is possible. Excess weight in the body burdens the joints, ligaments and muscles, especially in the lower back, and leads to injuries to these structures. Each kilogram of excess leads to 4 kilograms of load on the spine, which means that the lower back is constantly under pressure. As a result, some structures in the lower back get injured and you may experience pain.
What Kind of Back Pain Does Obesity Cause?
Muscle-related pain, sciatica and pain from herniated discs are the most common sources of pain in the lower back from being overweight. Being overweight doesn’t mean necessarily that you will have sciatica or herniated discs, but the chances for sciatica and/or herniated discs increase if you are overweight.
The reason for sciatica and discus hernia is the increased pressure on the spinal vertebrae and muscles in the gluteal area (piriformis) caused by being overweight. Extra pressure demands more work in lower back area from joints, muscles and ligaments. The lower back carries a lot of weight, especially in a sitting position, and it often happens that the muscles become inflamed and sore, as well as injuries to the joints and discs in the lower back.
Will Losing Weight Help My Back Pain?
Losing weight will certainly help you relieve pressure from your lower back and reduce the pain and tension as well. Bulging discs and being overweight is challenging in many ways, but no doubt losing extra pounds will help reduce the symptoms of a bulging disc. Losing extra pounds will reduce pain and improve mobility of the spine, but there is no guarantee that the pain will disappear completely after losing the extra pounds. Pain depends on many factors, so I advise you to consult a doctor or physiotherapist to assess the functionality of the spine and further treatments.
If you lose one extra pound, the pressure from your back reduces by four pounds. Your spine will become more mobile and everyday activities such as squatting, walking and bending will become easier.
Can Being Overweight Cause Muscle Pain?
As I mentioned above, it can. The muscles in the lower back are often weak in obese people due to lack of activity and that is why frequent muscle inflammations occur in that region. There is also a greater chance of muscle injury during sudden movements, such as getting out of bed or twisting suddenly.
What Other Problems Can Being Overweight Cause?
Being overweight can negatively affect the health of the heart, lungs, blood vessels and can significantly reduce the quality of life. However, I want to emphasize how being overweight affects the health of the lower back after a long time.
After a longer period, the pressure on the joints in the lower back affects the health of the joints themselves. Loss of mobility and degenerative changes in the joint itself occur faster. Morning stiffness, pain at rest and difficulty moving are the main symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Excess weight also affects the posture of the spine and pelvis by rotating the pelvis forward (anterior pelvic tilt) and thus creates an unsuitable position for the lower back. There is an increase in the curvature of the lower back, known as hyperlordosis.
Does Being Overweight Make You Tired?
Being overweight can reduce energy levels during light daily activities and cause tiredness. Extra pounds require more muscle activation, as well as increased work of the heart and lungs during any activity. As a result, you may experience shortness of breath, rapid breathing and sweating, as well as muscle tightness when walking upstairs or walking faster.
How To Relieve Back Pain From Being Overweight
To relieve the pressure on your back, you need to lose extra pounds. The most effective way to do this is to burn more calories each day than you take in. Physical activity, diet and adequate rest are the three most important things to lose weight.
What Helps Back Pain When Overweight?
Massages, stretching and strengthening exercises, and light walks can help reduce back pain in overweight people. The most important thing is to avoid sitting or lying down for a long time due to increased pressure on the spine and loss of muscle strength (muscle atrophy).
How Can I Lose Weight With Degenerative Disc Disease?
The process of losing extra pounds is the same for every person, regardless of whether you have degenerative disc disease or not. If you are in a calorie deficit every day, you will lose extra pounds. It is important to find the appropriate physical activity that will not cause back pain. I advise you to start with easy walks and exercises in the pool.
How Do Obese People Start To Lose Weight?
Daily training and adequate nutrition are the healthiest and fastest way to lose weight. Low to medium-intensity training (aerobic training) is the most effective way to lose fat. A diet based on protein and a variety of vegetables is mandatory for building muscle and losing weight.
How Do I Lose Lower Back Fat?
Losing fat in the lower back is a time-consuming process. There is no exact formula for calculating when the body will start burning fat in the lower back. Most people give up prematurely with training and a healthy diet so that they do not even get to see the process of losing fat in the lower back. Being persistent is crucial when losing extra pounds, especially when you are focused on losing fat in a certain part of the body.
How Fast Should An Obese Person Lose Weight?
According to medical recommendations, losing one to two pounds a week is considered a healthy amount of weight loss. Excessive and too fast weight loss is not sustainable in the long run and often leads to a yo-yo effect.
How Should An Overweight Person Start Exercising?
ou can start with activities that have little pressure on the lower back:
- Walking.
- Exercises in the pool.
- Exercises in the supine position.
- Stationary bicycle.
Over time, you can add walking uphill and downhill, as well as jogging. I advise you to avoid concrete when running, as well as sudden changes of direction.
Swimming is a great physical activity for losing extra pounds, but it can be very exhausting for the body and you become very hungry afterward.
By monitoring your heart rate, you can control the load on your body and stick to low-intensity activities.
Obese Back Pain Exercises
Bridges.
- Lay down on the back with legs bent at the knee. Rely only on the heel.
- Lift your hips high and hold for 3s. Try to slowly lower your hips to the floor.
Marching bridges.
- The starting position is the same as in the previous exercise.
- When you lift your hips high, keep them in the air while you lift your heel off the ground.
- Repeat several times and slowly lower your hips to the ground.
Cow cat.
- The starting position is four-legged on the knees.
- Bend and stretch your back while your arms are fully outstretched.
- Repeat 10 times.
Semi plank
1. Stand in a plank position, but lean on your knees instead of your feet.
2. Tighten your stomach and keep your body in that position for 30s.
Semi-plank can be a more physically demanding exercise for the shoulders and lower back, so I advise you to be very careful.
Is It Safe To Run If You Are obese?
Running is safe, even if you are overweight. Running will put more strain on your lower extremity joints due to being overweight, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that running is bad for you. It is important that you do not run too long or too fast.
How Does An Overweight Person Start Running?
Start by walking first. It is always better to walk longer than faster in the beginning. After a couple of weeks, you can start running lightly. Running on a soft surface with adequate footwear is a must if you want to reduce the impact of running on your ankles.
Creating a running program is not easy and that is why I think that a fitness trainer is a right solution for you. Find the right expert in the field of running and do not hesitate to contact him.
What Exercise Burns The Most Belly Fat?
Exercises that activate more muscles burn more fat, whether they are around the abdomen, arms or legs. Squats and deadlifts are exercises that are considered basic and they activate a large number of muscles. These two exercises are considered to be one of the best for losing extra pounds when we talk about strength training.
Conclusion
Being overweight affects the whole body and even the health of the lower back. If you are overweight and have a lower back, I advise you to seek medical help because the lower back can hurt for several reasons. Excess weight is an aggravating circumstance for your spine, so losing just a few pounds will relieve your lower back significantly.
If you have any comments or remarks on this text, feel free to write to comment bellow and I will do my best to answer you as soon as possible.
More Information About Back Health
- Lower Back Pain After Deadlift – Learn the connection between lower back and deadlift exercises, what are the common back injuries after a deadlift, and what it takes to prevent and relieve the pain. You can read the simple and effective exercise program that helps to relieve muscle tension in the lower back. I apply the same exercises when I go too hard with training!
- Stretching exercises for paraspinal muscles – Take a look at a quick guide for 15 stretching exercises that relieve this muscle group. Paraspinal muscles are located around the spine and they follow the spine from the tailbone to the skull.
- Lower back spasm and loss of mobility – Read more about how you can react when dealing with painful spasms in the lower back and restricted mobility. Few exercises included.
- Back pain and squats – Learn how to avoid back pain when squatting, why you should squat regularly and what is the bests squatting variation if you have low back pain.
- Tight hip flexors and back pain – The role of hip flexors in maintaining the good health of the lower back. Learn why you should train and take care of the hip flexor muscle group.
- Back Pain From Improper Lifting – Having a proper lifting form is key to saving your back muscles, ligaments and joints from being hurt. Improve your lifting technique today.
- Anterior Vs Posterior Pelvic Tilt – Everything you need to know about anterior and posterior pelvic tilt.
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