Keeping it Real with Sabrina Collins

Q: Welcome to Keeping It Real Sabrina. Tell us about your background.

A: I am a certified personal fitness trainer and group fitness instructor who trains clients and teaches yoga, Pilates and stability ball classes at the 12th Street Gym in Center City. My background includes more than 25 years experience in the field of health and fitness.

Q: Should people with back problems exercise?

A: With permission from a health care provider, absolutely. Proper exercise is known to alleviate, sometimes eliminate, back problems.

Q: How does exercise benefit someone suffering from back problems?

A: One way is to strengthen the abdominals, which provide support to the back. Another is to increase back flexibility by performing various stretching exercises developed to elongate this area. A qualified personal fitness trainer can design an exercise routine to strengthen and stretch the back. I have also helped clients improve their back strength by working with them to improve their posture. Many people spend hours hunched over a computer all day. Over time, they develop a forward slouch, which causes the spine to curve forward. This causes a great deal of stress to the spine, and over a period of time, [it causes] back pain.

Q: What warning signs should people with back problems look for during their workout? How can you tell when your workout is too much on your back?

A: Pain is the first and most important warning sign. It is the body’s way of letting one know that something is wrong. While it is normal to feel mild to moderate discomfort while working out, it is not at all normal to feel sharp pain. I strongly suggest the individual stop whatever it is that caused the pain and seek the advice of a health care provider.

Q: Which exercises are best for a problem back?

A: Many of my clients and individuals who attend my classes have alleviated pain in all areas of their backs through modified yoga and Pilates exercises. Both type exercises strengthen and elongate the body with a primary focus on the spine and core (abs and back) muscles.

Q: Should a person with back problems limit the amount of exercise they do?

A: Fitness and medical experts often warn people with back problems to steer clear of high impact or jarring type movements, which tend to aggravate existing back pain. Other than that, one is limited by how much they can tolerate and remain pain free. In other words, if it hurts, don’t do it!