If you suffer from lower back pain, you’re not alone – nearly 80% of adults experience low-back pain at some point in their lives.[1]
Some of the most common causes for low back pain include: pulling a muscle in the low back, overuse, poor posture, improper lifting technique and excessive sitting.
It’s been shown in research that if you’re looking to reduce your low back pain you’ll need to strengthen your low (lumbar) back muscles and your core muscles.[2][3]
It’s important that you focus on strengthening both the smaller, deep (Local) muscles, as well as the outer (global) muscles [4]… All these muscles work together to help stabilize your spine and pelvis – which in turn will reduce low back pain, stabilize your spine, and prevent injuries.
Some of the muscles that are essential to strengthen include:
Transverse abdominis – Deep core muscle
Quadratus Lumborum
External & Internal obliques
Gluteus maximus and medius
Lumbar multifidus
Pelvic floor muscles
Rectus Abdominis
The following exercises will address these muscles…
6 Exercises To Strengthen Your Lower Back And Core
1. Bird Dog (Alternate both sides)
This is a great exercise to improve core strength and lumbar back muscles.
How to do it:
– Begin on your hands and knees, with your hands positioned under your shoulders and knees positioned under your hips.
– Brace (contract) your core as hard as you can before beginning any movement.
– While bracing your core, raise your left arm and reach it forwards until it is aligned with your torso; at the same time, kick your right leg backwards until is it aligned with your torso.
– It’s important to not arch your low back as you do this.
– Hold this position for 2-3 seconds before slowly returning to the starting position.
– Repeat with your right arm and left leg.
– Alternate sides for 10 repetitions.
** Only extend your arm and leg to where it’s comfortable and don’t arch your low back.
2. Glute Bridge
This exercise helps to strengthen both your core, gluteal and back muscles.
How to do it:
– Begin lying on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet positioned flat on the floor with your arms positioned beside your torso.
– Brace your core and squeeze your butt before any movement.
– While bracing, lift your butt off the floor, and continue squeezing your butt.
– Hold this position for 5 seconds and return slowly to the starting position.
– Aim for 10 repetitions.
**Don’t hyperextend during this movement, you should feel your glutes firing.
3. Squats
This full-body exercise helps to strengthen your gluteals, hamstrings, and back, among other muscles.
How to do it:
– Begin in a standing position with your feet positioned about shoulder width apart.
– Look straight ahead and brace your core.
– Keep your abdominals tight, then hinge at your hips and bent your knees to about 90 degree angle (as if you’re sitting).
– To come up, use your legs first and then follow through with your glutes (squeeze your butt).
– Aim for 10 to 15 repetitions.
**We don’t recommend squatting past 90 degree angle. Even small range squatting will strengthen your muscles.
4. Plank
This exercise is ideal for strengthening both your deep core and gluteal muscles.
How to do it:
– Begin lying on your stomach with your forearms against the mat.
– Engage your core and lift your body so that you are resting on your forearms and toes.
– Ensure that your spine is in a neutral spinal position (not sagging in low back, or lifting butt in the air).
– Hold the plank position for 20-30 sec, Then lower down to floor.
– Aim for 2 to 5 repetitions of this exercise.
** Ensure to keep your back straight throughout the entire exercise.
5. Side Plank
The side plank is perfect for strengthening the sides of your core muscles and low back.
How to do it:
– Begin by positioning your body sideways.
– Place one elbow in a 90 degree angle and stack your feet and legs together.
– Now brace your core and butt muscles and lift your hips off the floor.
– Support your weight on your elbow and feet.
– Try to keep your whole body aligned from top to bottom.
– Hold the lifted position for 30 sec.
– Now do the side plank on the other side.
– Repeat 3 times on each side.
** Ensure to keep your back at a aligned position throughout the entire exercise.
6. Dead Bug (Alternate both sides)
This exercise helps to increase deep core strength, and it also helps to improve hip and trunk stability.
How to do it:
– Begin lying on your back with both arms extended towards the ceiling.
– Lift your legs off the floor to 90 degrees.
– Exhale to bring your ribcage down and try to flatten your back onto the floor by rotating your pelvis upwards and bracing your core muscles (this is the starting position for this exercise that you need to hold throughout the movement).
– Start the exercise by extending your left leg, straightening at the knee and hip and bringing the leg down to just above the floor (don’t let your lower back arch); at the same time, lower your right arm back to just above the floor.
– Keep your abdominal and gluteal muscles tightened and return your left leg and right arm to the starting position.
– Repeat with your right leg and left arm.
– Alternate sides for 20 repetitions.
In Conclusion
Doing these exercises will help strengthen your core and low back muscles – which in turn will reduce the likelihood of you injuring your back.
Any questions? Leave a comment below
Related:
Bracing Versus Hollowing In
Cobra pose for low back pain and herniated discs
How to fix anterior pelvic tilt
Kneeling hip flexor stretch – video demo
Cat Cow Stretch video
Sources:[1] Corrective Exercise: How to keep clients injury-free, pain-free and coming back! – NASM Blog. NASM Blog https://blog.nasm.org/fitness/corrective-exercise-keep-clients-injury-free-pain-free/. Published 2020. Accessed February 12, 2020.
[2] Hides J, Jull G, Richardson C. Long-term effects of specific stabilizing exercises for first-episode low back pain. Spine. 2001;26(11):e243-e248. doi:10.1097/00007632-200106010-00004
[3] Baerga-Varela L, et al. Core strengthening exercises for low back pain. Bol Asoc Med P R. 2006 Jan-Mar;98(1):56-61.
[4] Koh H, Cho S, Kim C. Comparison of the effects of hollowing and bracing exercises on cross-sectional areas of abdominal muscles in middle-aged women. J Phys Ther Sci. 2014;26(2):295-299. doi:10.1589/jpts.26.295
Corrective Exercise Specialist (NASM-CES), Certified Personal Trainer (NASM-CPT), Professional Dancer
As a long time back sufferer Leon found unique methods to alleviate his pain using natural methods including self massage, exercise/stretching and postural habits. He founded Backintelligence.com to empower others to fix their postures and ease their back pain from home.
Let us know if you have any questions below in the comments.
How often should you do these exercises? Every day or every other day?
Every other day can work or 2-3 times a week can be good too.
Can I do this exercises if I still have sciatic pain?
You should be able to. But don’t push into pain and only choose the exercises that don’t cause any pain.
Hi
At the moment I am having plasma injections for bulging/ fractured discs. I’m having my second injection today and will have my 3rd in 6 weeks. The Dr has indicated to do core exercises… will the ones you have indicated above be enough or should I look for more exercises to do?
Hi Alan, These are great to do. The key is to do them with good technique/form. I’d start with the easiest ones like: Bird Dog, Bridge and then plank, before any others.
Thanks much appreciated