Back work-out tips?

[akscuba]

Are there any other very small female divers out there who are worried about back problems? I'm 5'3, slight, and in decent shape (although I'm currently trying to improve 'decent' to 'good')

I do mostly shore diving, and I find that if it is a long walk to the water, or if I have to wait for my buddy for too long for some reason that my back begins to hurt-mostly in the shoulders and upper back, but also lower back a bit. On a recent dive trip I was doing 4 or 5 dives a day, and my back would get pretty sore throughout the day. In addition, whenever I get banged around on entry or exit I worry that I am going to seriously injure my back.

Do others have this concern? I don't have back problems right now, and I'm young, but I fear that I will develop them and then I'll have to stop diving (among other problems).

Does anyone have any work-out tips regarding strengthening your back? Or any other tips to reduce strain on the back for those long walks/waits?

[Tom Winters]

Take care of that back early on. I do 400 crunchies a night - otherwise my lower back would kill me. I used to lift paraplegic divers by bending over the gunwale, having them grab me around my neck, and then lifting them into the boat. Worked like a charm. Without lots of conditioning, that would have messed me up. Once your back gets trashed, they never seem to come back right.
Get used to carrying your tanks on land - adjust everything so it fits nicely. One thing you really have to watch for is momentary overloads like climbing a dive boat ladder in a pitching sea or climbing down a grade doing a cave.
Finally, although this is not politically correct, get some gorilla to help you with your gear or lug it. I do this with all the females who dive with me...yeah they can do it, but I can do it way easier. As a carryover from my DM days, I also lug a lot of guy gear too even though I'm a lot older than most people I dive with. I don't want to break someone diving if it's preventable - and I know I sure won't break me.

[Cacia]

400?

I do two sets of 25

Don't forget to keep your hamstrings stretched out...that is what hels me the most with back. Also, cobra.

[Kevrumbo]

Just lapswim freestyle, with lots of flip turns, breath alternating sides; long catches and pulls a la Total Immersion technique. Backstroke and the Butterfly are excellent workouts too. . .

[girldiverllc]

I'm 5'1"...so definitely "feel" what you're talking about.

Two things that have helped me...

1) Steel 80's. They're shorter, so they don't pull down on your shoulders as much.

2) BCD Fit...this is the MOST important. If the BCD fits properly, it shouldn't be allowing the tank to pull down on your shoulders. I've had ill-fit BCD's and well fit BCD's. Definitely tell the difference in the shoulder and lower back areas.

For exercises, when strengthening your back, don't forget your abs. Your ab muscles do as much work for keeping your back in good shape as your back muscles.

In addition to any "weight bearing" exercises...Pilates strengthens all of your core muscles...so would help your entire torso to be stronger. And...diving frequently is always the best way to get in shape for diving.

[IrishAngel]

I'm not petite.. but have experience diving while being mindful of my low back.

Proper fitting equipment.. fins.. bcds.. tanks.. it's possible to get quality properly fitting equipment in petite sizes..

Protecting your low back.. strength AND flexibility.. of not only your back.. but your core.. abdominals, glutes, and your legs..

Get help if and when you need it, esp. times your back is vulnerable to a strain.. Such as putting your gear on and off the boat.. Getting into the water once geared.. and getting back to a seat after you're out..

[ArcticDiver]

Are there any other very small female divers out there who are worried about back problems? I'm 5'3, slight, and in decent shape (although I'm currently trying to improve 'decent' to 'good')

I do mostly shore diving, and I find that if it is a long walk to the water, or if I have to wait for my buddy for too long for some reason that my back begins to hurt-mostly in the shoulders and upper back, but also lower back a bit. On a recent dive trip I was doing 4 or 5 dives a day, and my back would get pretty sore throughout the day. In addition, whenever I get banged around on entry or exit I worry that I am going to seriously injure my back.

Do others have this concern? I don't have back problems right now, and I'm young, but I fear that I will develop them and then I'll have to stop diving (among other problems).

Does anyone have any work-out tips regarding strengthening your back? Or any other tips to reduce strain on the back for those long walks/waits?

Well, I'm a guy, but maybe since I've had to rehab a back I can steer you to some pro advise.

Due to a combination of my job, my hobby and my long torso I've had some back "issues". So, the orthopod at the time got me an appointment with a physical therapist who showed me some exercises that require NO equipment. They stretch the back and glutes and build the muscles in the abdomen and back.

Maybe you can get good results from exercise descriptions. But for me being shown and supervised until I got them down was well worth the money and time.

I just wish I'd known about them earlier and I probably could have done some preventive work like you plan to do.

[kreuzerkrieg]

Got lower back problems (not related to diving), the problem was solved once I added "seated cable row" and "back hyperextension" to my workout procedure. You should target general back muscles and "erector spinae" in particular, check http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html for exercises you feel comfortable with.

[Oregon Duck]

I second the recommendation regarding the "back hyperextension" exercise recommended above. This exercise works the glutes and low and mid back. I used to get a very sore lower back after downhill skiing all day. Not this season since I added back hyperextension exercises to my routine. The difference is amazing and it translates well to being bent over carrying all that gear while shore diving. If you go to a club it may have a machine you can sit at, bent forward with the weight on your mid-upper back which you then push back against to raise and lower the weight. The url kreuzerkrieg posted also has a video of the same exercise while raising the legs if you don't have access to a machine.

[EvaL]

Hi, I'm male but have had some back problems as well, particulary after dives. I've found that some yoga warm-up exercises such as downward dog (3 to 6 times), sit-ups (2-3 sets of 20) and push-ups (2 sets of 15-20) have helped strengthen my lower back muscles. I also try this (the name escapes me): Lie face-down on a yoga mat/pad, keep arms on my back or side and try to raise my face and shoulders up as much as possible and hold it for incrementally longer times (up to 15-30 secs). Repeat for a total of 3-5 times.
Good luck and dive safely.