Two years ago I had severe sciatica pain in lower back spreading to left foot, it lasted 3 months and was gone while swimming regularly.
I reduced weight and now at 47, height 181 cm, my weight is 82 kgs. I swam regularly from April to September, 3 km in a hour. Since swimming stopped due to winter, I am building this rower for cardio. I also work out with dumbbells twice a week. Lower back pain returns when wrong weight lifting, so I take care for that.
I searched for relation between back pain and rowing, and came to conclusion that it should be done with care and proper technic and gradually one should increase exercise time.
Is it ok if I do rowing regularly?
Thanks.
sciatica pain and rowing
Re: sciatica pain and rowing
Keeping fit is essential, and not just for the back. Diets fade into insignificance in comparison. Rowing cured my backaches and weight problems in no time at all, after years of cars and desks. No doubt good posture is needed; on the erg all this means is relax, keep the back straight, head up and shoulders down.
I found swimming (freestyle with eyes on the bottom) is a great help, as also kayak, bike and XC skiing. I reckon that for all of them it's twisting the back that does the job as well as the fitness. If I do get a twinge, all I need do is twist round to look behind me, slowly, both sides two or three times.
I found swimming (freestyle with eyes on the bottom) is a great help, as also kayak, bike and XC skiing. I reckon that for all of them it's twisting the back that does the job as well as the fitness. If I do get a twinge, all I need do is twist round to look behind me, slowly, both sides two or three times.
08-1940, 179cm, 75kg post-op (3 bp).
Re: sciatica pain and rowing
I wanted to hear positive response. Thanks jamesg its sure go for me.
Two years back when I had the pain, very first day of swimming pain subsided. Now it comes while I pull something heavy or lift weight in wrong posture.
It was the pull thing that was scaring me. Stretching and twisting I do on daily basis.
Two years back when I had the pain, very first day of swimming pain subsided. Now it comes while I pull something heavy or lift weight in wrong posture.
It was the pull thing that was scaring me. Stretching and twisting I do on daily basis.
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Re: sciatica pain and rowing
This is probably a topic more suited to another forum since it's not really about the Erg but the operator and health/technique.
Speaking only from my own viewpoint and experience here, one of the key elements for rowing is to always be aware of your form and position when working on the water or on an Erg. Are you hunched over at the catch? Are you driving with your legs while back and arms are other than straight? Do you observe the Erg techniques shown on C2's youtube videos? Where is your damper setting because slamming the damper to 10 is a good start to sciatic problems for the novice Erg user. If you were carrying more weight when you started rowing, sometimes there is an unwitting flare of the knees and legs at the catch (are your elbows and arms outside or inside your knees at the catch?) which can definitely setup back pain issues.
On sciatic pain, that for me is the result of a less than strong core placing stress on the back because the core is sub-par. In this context, do you include some cross training techniques for core strength? During the off-the-water season, I try to split my workouts to 3 days of 'heavy' Erg work and 3 days of resistance training focused on core and explosive leg drive. Situps, leg lifts, using a handle roller wheel to stretch out and back from whatever position you can manage (kneeling or if you're a stud - standing), hanging from a chin up bar and raising legs without swinging for core strength, and, jump ups, lunges, squats, and one legged stuff helps me tremendously for leg drive. All of these movements are focused to strengthen abdominal and core muscles which will take stress off the back if you're cheating the form at all. It doesn't take much to tweak a back and it can be days, weeks, or months to recover from a tweak so this is for sure an area in which to be hyper aware.
Again, from my experience, any sciatic pain is the result of being hunched at the catch with other than straight arms, and driving legs hard while hunched followed by no straight back, no swing at the hips, and no layback.
Speaking only from my own viewpoint and experience here, one of the key elements for rowing is to always be aware of your form and position when working on the water or on an Erg. Are you hunched over at the catch? Are you driving with your legs while back and arms are other than straight? Do you observe the Erg techniques shown on C2's youtube videos? Where is your damper setting because slamming the damper to 10 is a good start to sciatic problems for the novice Erg user. If you were carrying more weight when you started rowing, sometimes there is an unwitting flare of the knees and legs at the catch (are your elbows and arms outside or inside your knees at the catch?) which can definitely setup back pain issues.
On sciatic pain, that for me is the result of a less than strong core placing stress on the back because the core is sub-par. In this context, do you include some cross training techniques for core strength? During the off-the-water season, I try to split my workouts to 3 days of 'heavy' Erg work and 3 days of resistance training focused on core and explosive leg drive. Situps, leg lifts, using a handle roller wheel to stretch out and back from whatever position you can manage (kneeling or if you're a stud - standing), hanging from a chin up bar and raising legs without swinging for core strength, and, jump ups, lunges, squats, and one legged stuff helps me tremendously for leg drive. All of these movements are focused to strengthen abdominal and core muscles which will take stress off the back if you're cheating the form at all. It doesn't take much to tweak a back and it can be days, weeks, or months to recover from a tweak so this is for sure an area in which to be hyper aware.
Again, from my experience, any sciatic pain is the result of being hunched at the catch with other than straight arms, and driving legs hard while hunched followed by no straight back, no swing at the hips, and no layback.
Re: sciatica pain and rowing
Actually the topic is in relation with this one http://www.c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=14626. I am building one, but before built I wanted to know is it worth building.
I was in doubt if rowing was good for me or not. Although I am doing resistance training twice a week.
Good form and proper technic is the key point when rowing that I deduce.
I was in doubt if rowing was good for me or not. Although I am doing resistance training twice a week.
Good form and proper technic is the key point when rowing that I deduce.