Exercises that relieve lower back pain

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A lot of people experience lower back pain due to lack of proper exercise or a poor lifestyle. Resting it may alleviate some of the pain, but strengthening the lower back prepares it for the trains of quick movements, heavy lifting, and other taxing activities. Exercising these muscles can also relieve the pain. Here are a few exercises addressing lower back pain.


Bird Dog


Strengthening can ease the pain of your lower back in the long run, but mobilizing it is a faster way to get relief. Bird dog is a great exercise and all you need is a yoga mat.


Get on all fours, hands directly underneath your shoulders and knees under your hips with your spine in line with your head. Breathe in and extend your left leg and your right arm. Hold the position and your breath for 5 – 10 seconds and slowly breathe out as you lower them to the starting position. Do this twelve times alternating limbs as you go along.


Lower back stretches

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To do lower back stretches, start in the same initial position for Bird Dog. With a deep breath, slowly take your bottom half backward toward your heels with your hands staying in the same position as you breathe out. Hold the stretch for 20 – 40 seconds. Breathe in as you go back to the original position.

This stretching may not work at all if you have a herniated disc. If you experience pain when doing lower back stretches, have your back checked.


My name is Mike Volitich. I’m currently studying sports therapy at the UCLA. I’ve always been interested in sports, travel, fitness, and athletic wear. More on health here in this blog.

What Are The Roles And Responsibilities Of a Point Guard?

There are five starting positions in basketball. Depending on your skill set and physique, you will be delegated to a role best suited for you.  Each of these roles is vital to a game.  Throughout the NBA, there are players who excel at their roles and have carried their teams to great victories.  Among the five roles, the point guard is arguably the most important.  Here are the roles and responsibilities of the point guard.

The point guard position isn’t delegated to the smaller players.  This mostly depends on their skillset.  Point guards often have high basketball intelligence.  This means they are able to see situations like mismatches, open spaces, and avenues for scoring.  The point guard should also be able to coordinate with his team for offense.

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Reading situations is key for point guards.  He or she must establish the pace of the game, depending on the situation.  The point guard also seeks team mates in the court who have the highest probability of scoring and passing the ball to them.

In the event that other team members are unable to create space for themselves, the point guard should also be skilled enough to take matters into their own hands.  This is why shooting, especially outside shooting, is also a necessity for point guards.

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Hello there! My name is Mike Volitich. I’m a sports therapy student at UCLA. When I have free time, you’ll find me outdoors playing ultimate frisbee and other recreational sports. To pass the time, I listen to podcasts on sports, comic books, and movies. You might also find me cheering for my school’s varsity teams. Visit this website for more reads on basketball.