Living with persistent lower back pain can be a tough journey, impacting your daily activities and overall quality of life. With more people sitting for longer periods during the day, the problem has increased and many people struggle with lower back pain relief.
The good news is that by incorporating certain exercises into your routine stability and strength moves, you can take proactive steps toward alleviating discomfort, ease lower back tightness, and gain more strength and flexibility in the process.
I’ll give you seven effective mobility and strength stability exercises that are designed to relieve lower back pain, addressing key areas such as tight hips, hamstrings, and the back itself.
1. Banded Hamstring Stretch
The banded hamstring stretch is an excellent starting point in your quest for lower back pain relief. This exercise targets the hamstrings and also improves flexibility in the lower back and hips. Tight hamstrings can lead to tightness in the back of the leg but also pull on the lower back muscles, leading too tightness there as well.
How to Perform:
- Lie on your back and secure a thick resistance band around your foot.
- Extend one leg upward, gently pulling on the band to feel a stretch in the hamstring.
- Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds before switching legs.
2. Lying Hamstring Wall Stretch:
The lying hamstring wall stretch provides a deep release for tight hamstrings, relieving the lower back by enhancing overall leg flexibility. All you need is a wall and to lay in front of it with your heels against the wall.
How to Perform:
- Lie on your back with one or both legs extended up against a wall. Make sure to get as close as you can to the wall so that your legs can go straight up the side of it.
- Feel the stretch in your hamstring and hold for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. You can put both feet on the wall, or do one at a time.
3. 90/90 Hip Mobility
Addressing hip mobility is crucial in tackling the root causes of lower back pain. The 90/90 hip exercise is designed to do just that. The 90/90 hip stretch is a powerful exercise that targets hip mobility, sometimes a major component in alleviating lower back pain. As we spend prolonged periods sitting or engaging in activities that tighten the hip flexors, the muscles around the hips become stiff and restricted, increasing stress on the lower back. By loosening the hips through stretching, such as the 90/90 hip exercise, we can counteract this tightness and restore proper alignment in the pelvis.
Hip flexor tightness from sitting is becoming more prevalent, and this stretch might be able to alleviate those tight hips: Tight Hip Flexors Can Lead to Pain in the Lumbar Spine.
How to Perform:
- Sit on the floor with your front leg at a 90-degree angle and the back leg perpendicular.
- Switch sides, move between positions, and focus on maintaining good posture throughout.
4. Scorpions (Easy on This One)
Scorpions introduce dynamic movements that engage the lower back, stretching the spine and enhancing overall mobility. Be careful with both shoulders and excessive stretching to begin the ‘Scorpion’ movement.
Here is a great explanation by Stick Mobility: Scorpion Stretch
How to Perform:
- Lie face down with arms extended to the sides. Extend your arms and keep the opposing palm down on the ground if you like to get a shoulder and chest stretch too.
- Lift one leg and rotate it towards the opposite hand, keeping the other leg straight.
- I like holding this position for about ten seconds returning to the starting position and alternating sides. 2 sets of 3 reps, holding for about 5-10 seconds on each rep.
5. Glute Bridges
Glute bridges are an excellent exercise to strengthen the glutes and lower back muscles. It involves lying on your back with your knees bent and pushing your hips towards the ceiling, engaging your glutes.
This simple yet effective exercise targets the glute muscles, which are the largest and most powerful muscles in the body. Strengthening these muscles can improve posture, reduce lower back pain, and enhance athletic performance. Moreover, glute bridges are a low-impact exercise that can be modified to suit individual fitness levels, making it an ideal addition to any workout routine.
How to Perform:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Lift your hips towards the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top.
- Lower back down and repeat for a set of 10-15 reps.
To make glute bridges more difficult, you can do this:
- Single Leg Glute Bridges: great for building single-leg glute and hamstring strength. Also good for balancing out each side if one is stronger than the other (which is often the case).
- Elevate your back on a bench or couch to get more depth on the movement. Add a weight like a dumbbell, kettlebell, or bag on your hips to increase the exercise load.
6. Deadbugs
Deadbugs engage the core muscles and promote stability, reducing strain on the lower back. They also stretch your shoulders and traps with an overhead reach built into the movement. Strengthening your core has also been proven to relieve lower back pain and tightness. This bodyweight exercise is one that you can do at home in minimal time.
How to Perform:
- Lie on your back with arms extended towards the ceiling and legs lifted.
- Lower one arm and the opposite leg towards the ground, keeping your lower back pressed into the floor.
- Return to the starting position and switch sides. Do about 3-4 sets of 8-12 total reps.
Video demonstration of the Deadbug exercise.
7. Lying T-Rotations
The lying T-rotations target the thoracic spine, promoting rotational mobility and relieving upper and lower back tension. This exercise helps to alleviate tension, improve range of motion, and enhance overall spinal health.
Also, the gentle rotation movement aids in releasing tightness in the muscles, providing relief from discomfort often associated with lower back pain. Incorporating the lying T rotation stretch into your routine can contribute to a more flexible, resilient lower back and promote greater ease of movement in daily activities.
Video demonstration of the Lying t-Rotation Stretch.
How to Perform:
- Lie on your side with arms extended in front of you.
- Rotate your upper body, reaching the top arm towards the opposite side.
- Hold for a moment before returning to the starting position. Switch sides and repeat.
These 7 Exercises Can Help Your Lower Back Pain
Incorporating these seven mobility exercises into your routine can be a game-changer in addressing lower back pain. Consistency is important, so aim to perform these exercises regularly to experience lasting relief and improved mobility. Two to four sessions of these exercises per week should help, but some of these you can incorporate almost every day.
As you work these exercises into your weekly routine, you’ll find relief from lower back pain and pave the way for a healthier, more active lifestyle.
Remember, your journey to optimal mobility and well-being begins with a commitment to self-care and applying these targeted exercises.
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