Get "back" in shape

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, March, 2004

Few active people are immune from back pain: Eventually, something sometime leads to overstressed, overtired or simply overtight back muscles. It's no wonder, then, that back care products are a cottage industry unto themselves. We've sifted through the newest influx of items to find the cream of the crop.

Here's what came out on top. The Wharton's Back Book, by Jim and Phil Wharton (Rodale, 2003; $20), a renowned father and son training team, is geared toward helping you both resolve current back problems and "PREhab" your back to prevent future aches and pains. The program has three parts: stretching, strengthening and cardiovascular training, specialized for good back health. Like an owner's manual for the back, Better Back, by Dr. John Tanner (DK Publishing, 2003; $15) offers practical advice on how to diagnose and treat back pain, as well as on how to speed your recovery and prevent re-injury. In Back RX (Penguin Putnam, 2004; $18), sports medicine specialist and yoga practitioner Dr. Vijay Vad presents a mind-body solution to back pain by combining the best of modern medicine with the principles of yoga and Pilates. The three-phase program includes modified exercises and postures designed to increase core strength and flexibility--and to be done in just 15 minutes a day. Renita Fehrsen-DuToit's The Good Back Book: A Practical Guide to Alleviating and Preventing Back Pain (Firefly Books, 2003; $20) has an extensive back anatomy chapter and information on analyzing common posture faults and how to correct them, and it includes equipment-free exercises. The book also includes a bonus section on back care professionals and when to consult them. Recent research has demonstrated that eight hours of continuous low-level heat provides relief from low back pain for up to 48 hours. That's where Therma Care's Air Activated Heat Wraps ($7; at drugstores) come in. They're activated by the air and deliver heat to applied area for up to eight hours, reducing pain and relaxing the muscles. Best of all, the wraps are easy to hide under clothing--a must-have for your gym bag.