Exercises to Reduce Lower Back Pain
Unfortunately, back pain is very common nowadays. This is often because our lives are more sedentary, making our hip flexors tight, back stiff, and cores weaker. If you relate to this, don’t worry! There are ways to help ease your back pain with exercise.
When people think about relieving back pain, they often think of stretches. And while this is super important for reducing that pain, it’s also important to keep your back and the surrounding muscles strong, like your abs, glutes, and hamstrings.
Below are some simple exercises to do for strengthening and stretching those muscles. Together, this should help relieve and keep you pain free.
Exercises to Strengthen the Back, Core, Glutes:
Complete 10 – 15 repetitions of each exercise
Bird dog: start on your hands and knees, with shoulders under hands and hips over knees. Brace your abs and extend the right arm and left leg out straight. Make sure to keep yourself square to the floor, and not lean towards either side. Hold for a few counts, then slowly return the hand and knee to the ground. Repeat repetitions on each side.
Bridge: lie on your back, with knees back, and feet flat on the floor. Tighten your abs and glutes, and slowly lift your hips off the floor. Make sure to keep your spine in a neutral position. Hold for a few seconds at the top, then slowly lower hips back down to the floor.
Plank: start on your mat and place hands under the shoulders. Tighten core and lift to your toes. Keep tightening your glutes and abs as you hold position. Make sure to keep a straight line from your head to your heels. For a modification, try a plank on your knees instead.
Dead bug: Lie down on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and lifted to a tabletop position. Raise your arms so that they’re straight and stacked above your shoulders. Brace your core and keep your spine neutral as you extend your right arm and left leg away from each other until they’re just above the floor. Return your arm and leg to the center. Repeat repetitions on both sides.
Stretches to Relieve Pain:
Hold each stretch for :20 - :30 seconds
Knee to chest stretch: Lie down on your back with both knees bent and feet on the floor. Slowly draw both knees up towards your chest. Gently wrap your arms around your knees to help pull your knees in close to deepen the stretch. You can also do this single-sided, with one knee being pulled into the chest and the other lying straight out on the floor. Make sure to do both legs in this variation.
Spinal rotation: Lie down on your back with both knees bent and feet on the floor. Keeping your knees bent, slowly lower them to the right. Try to keep both shoulders on the floor as you hold position. Bring your knees back to center and lower them to the other side.
Hip flexor stretch: Start by kneeling on the floor. Bring your right leg in front of you with the foot flat on the floor. Leave your left knee on the floor with the shin pointing straight down. While keeping your spine neutral, start to lean forward until you feel a stretch in your left hip and thigh. Make sure to do both sides.
Figure four stretch: Lie down on your back with both knees bent and feet on the floor. Lift your right leg up and cross the right ankle on top of the left thigh. Draw your left leg knee up and in, holding the back of the left leg with your hands. You should feel the stretch through your right leg. Repeat on both sides.
Seated single-side hamstring stretch: Sit on the floor with one leg extended out straight. The opposite leg should be bent with the sole of the foot on the inside of the extended leg. Reach towards the extended leg, keeping your back flat and leg straight. Repeat on both sides.
Make sure to stay consistent in both strengthening and stretching to see lasting results.