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If you have ever had a serious backache, you understand just how important your back is – even for things you think don’t involve the back so much. For instance, squeezing a tennis ball involves a lot more than your hand; the latissimus dorsi and other back muscles come into play during this motion.

The lats are the large ’side’ muscles that make a man triangle-shaped. To demonstrate how they are used during squeezing a tennis ball, try it! You’ll quickly feel a tensing of the muscles on the side of the arm you use. It’s especially noticeable if you have back pain.

Any sport will require strong back muscles, for speed and coordination, for balance and movement and for providing a strong ‘pillar’ for all the limbs to move off of.

Following are a few easy exercises which can help you improve the strength and flexibility of these key muscles. You will see the most benefits from these exercises when they are done on a firm – not hard – surface. A hard surface will cause needless discomfort to your bony parts.

Knee to Chest: While lying on your back, clasp both hands behind one thigh. Pull your thigh towards your chest slowly while making sure to keep your other leg flat. Flex your ankle as you do this – alternate between pointing your toe and pulling it back towards your knee while stretching your leg. Hold each position for about five seconds, switch legs and do it over again. Do ten repetitions of this exercise.

Rotations: Do this one while lying back with your feet flat on the floor, knees together and raised. Extend your arms but keep them close to your body and keep your palms flat on the floor as well. Lift your feet just slightly off the ground and by moving your knee, rotate your torso. Move your knees a little to the left, then right. Alternate the exercise by crossing your arms over your chest, then repeat.

As you continue to practice this exercise, you will build flexibility and develop a wider range of motion. Eventually, you’ll be able to touch your knee to the floor.

Pelvic Press: Lie down on your back, knees raised and feet flat on the floor. Push the small of the back into the floor, feel the tension in the lower abdominals. Vary the action by moving your feet together and performing the exercise, then slightly apart and repeat. As you press into the ground, hold for 5 seconds, but continue to breath slowly and normally.

Pelvic Lift: Again, lie on your back with feet flat on the ground, knees raised. Cross your arms over your chest and legs and knees together. Raise your buttocks slightly off the floor and hold this position for five seconds. Lower them slowly back to the floor, count to two and repeat. Breathe slowly and normally while doing this exercise.

Dog Stretches: Starting position for this exercise is on all fours with your head raised – look forward to achieve proper posture for this exercise. Lowering your arms, arch your back and hold this position for two seconds before returning to your starting position. Extend one leg, parallel to the floor (or as close to parallel as possible). Hold this position for three seconds, then return to starting position again. This exercise can cause hip, leg or back pain in some – if it does this for you, stop this exercise immediately.

Switch legs and repeat. Vary the exercise by extending the leg with toe pointed, then flex the ankle perpendicular to the leg. Hold for 2 seconds and repeat. Do 10 reps for each leg.

Another option for improving the flexibility in your back muscles is to use a piece of equipment known as a back stretcher. There are various styles of this back stretching equipment that make it easy and safe for you to stretch your spinal muscles.

If you feel any pain while doing these exercises, stop immediately. While some mild discomfort is normal, pain is not, and you should talk to your doctor if this occurs.

Yoga has an extremely long history; over 6,000 years in fact! This ancient form of exercise is great for conditioning the body and the mind alike.

While the various asanas or postures are the core of yoga training, the breath is its soul. It’s been said that if you can breathe, you can practice yoga. A fundamental aim of yoga is to help you learn to calm your mind through your breathing.

The regular practice of yoga will make you intimately acquainted with yoga. You’ll learn proper techniques for breathing which will produce relaxation and stress relief and also help you to achieve better posture.

It is in our nature to let our minds drift into concerns of the future and the past. But our bodies are only alive in the present. Through the performance of yoga, you can learn how to focus your mind on your body and let go of all of your worries, all through proper breathing.

One of the refreshing aspects about yoga is that, even if only for a minute, you are able to focus and concentrate on the present, and you are learning to let go of the cares and concerns that can bring tension and disease to your body.

By practicing yoga, you will learn conscious breathing during yoga poses which will keep your mind alert and ever aware of your practice. You will learn how to draw your mind to the present moment – allowing you to leave off all other thoughts.

While there are a number of breathing exercises associated with yoga which will teach you how to release tension and balance your mind, as a start, try the following exercise.

* Lie or sit still in a comfortable position and be aware of your breathing.

* Still aware of your breath, inhale and exhale 4 counts each several times.

* Next, increase your inhalation and exhalations to 5 counts each.

* Then increase the count to 6 for each inhalation and exhalation. Become aware of your body – make sure that it is relaxed.

* Continue this way until your inhalations and exhalations reach 9 counts. If this is causing you any discomfort, drop the count back down to more comfortable number for you.

* Keep focusing on your body and be aware of any tension. Make a conscious effort to relax any parts of your body that are tense.

* Whatever number of counts you reach, continue breathing with these long breaths for several rounds, then stop counting and breathe normally for 10 rounds.

What you should discover from this exercise, as well as with many of yogas other breathing exercises, is the ability to relax your thoughts and to still your mind so that you are present in your body. In time, you will eventually gain mastery over your breath so that you will be able to call on your breath to still your mind in times of stress and tension.

If you regularly suffer from insomnia, you know that it’s a real problem that can cause you considerable difficulties. When you’re short on sleep, it can have a major impact on your ability to carry out your day to day routine.

It’s possible to get a prescription medication to deal with the problem. However, the side effects of these medications can sometimes be as disturbing as the symptoms of your insomnia. If so, why not take a look at herbal treatments that have been shown to be an effective insomnia remedy.

Consider beginning with something relatively mild, such as chamomile. For countless generations, chamomile has been considered an effective means of inducing sleep. It is also believed to have anti-inflammatory qualities. So it might help to relieve your minor aches and pains, which you might not even be aware of. Have a cup of chamomile tea before turning in for the night for the best results.

Another herb you might want to consider is lavender. Lavender is known for its ability to calm down the nervous system. People who experience insomnia due to stress and anxiety find this to be a particularly effective remedy. Try spritzing some lavender oil on your pillow before you go to bed at night.

Many people believe passion flower to be a very effective natural remedy for insomnia. It has calming and sleep inducing properties, and can even help to relieve pain. It was used by the ancient Aztecs as a sedative and analgesic.

Another commonly used treatment for insomnia is St. John’s Wort. It has a long history of use for insomnia and other health conditions such as depression.

You could also try Valerian Root. People have been treating their insomnia with this herb for countless generations. Because of its natural sedative abilities, it’s become one of the most popular herbs for the treatment of insomnia. Another of its uses is as a muscle relaxant. Not only do its sedative properties fight insomnia, they can also relieve nervous problems and calm your restlessness.

Keep in mind that you must use any of these herbal treatments according to the directions. Just because they’re natural doesn’t mean they’re completely safe. And taking more of them won’t make the condition go away any faster. It might even make it worse.

Any one of these herbal treatments might be successful for managing your insomnia. However, keep in mind that it may take some trial and error until you find the one that works best for you.