Helpful Exercises for Lower Back Pain
When pain flares up in your lower back, you may want nothing more than to just rest. However, moving around and exercising the lower back will help to strengthen the muscles that support your spine, relieving your back pain.
Here at Live Active, our aim is to make you feel and function better. We’ve put together a list of 5 great exercises to help strengthen your back and surrounding muscles to reduce the risk of potential back pain.
- Partial Crunches
This exercise focuses on strengthening your back and stomach muscles.
Step 1: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Either cross your arms over your chest or place your hands behind your head.
Step 2: Use your stomach and back muscles to raise shoulders and neck off the floor, breathing out as you come up. Make sure not to use your arms to pull your neck off the floor. Your feet, tailbone and lower back should remain in contact with the floor at all times.
Step 3: Hold for a few seconds, then slowly lower your shoulders back down to touch the floor.
Step 4: Repeat 10 – 15 times
- Hamstring Stretches
This exercise focuses on the back of the legs (hamstrings).
Step 1: Lie on your back on the floor and bend the left knee. Extend your right leg outwards, and place either a towel or elastic exercise band under the ball of your foot.
Step 2: Straighten the right knee and slowly pull on the band under your foot. This should create a stretch down the back of the right leg.
Step 3: Hold for at least 15 to 30 seconds.
Step 4: Swap legs, and repeat for 4 times each leg.
- Wall Sits
This exercise helps to strengthen the muscles in your back, legs and core.
Step 1: Stand a few inches from the wall, then lean back so your back is flat against it
Step 2: Slowly slide down the wall until your knees are bent, as if you were sitting in a chair
Step 3: Press your back into the wall and hold for 10 seconds, before sliding carefully back up the wall
Step 4: Repeat 8-12 times
- Back Extensions
This exercise is great for stretching and mobilising the spine.
Step 1: Lie on the floor on your stomach, while placing your hands and forearms flat against the floor in front of you.
Step 2: Push your back upwards, by pushing down on your hands. Arch until you feel a stretch in the stomach muscles and lower back. Keep your neck long throughout the exercise.
Step 3: Breathe and hold for 10 seconds, then gently lower your upper body back onto the floor.
Step 4: Repeat 8-12 times
- Bridges
The bridge exercise helps to strengthen your lower back, glutes, legs and core.
Step 1: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Step 2: Pushing your heels into the floor and squeezing your glutes, lift your hips off the floor until knees, hips and shoulders are in a straight line.
Step 3: Hold for 10 seconds, then slowly lower hips back onto the floor
Step 4: Rest for 10 seconds, then repeat. Repeat exercise a total of 8-12 times.
Any mild discomfort felt at the start of an exercise should disappear as muscles become stronger. However, if pain is more than mild or lasts for more than 15 minutes during exercise, you should stop the exercise and consult a health practitioner. Some exercises such as standing toe touches or sit-ups may actually aggravate pain, as they can put stress on the disks and ligaments in the spine.
If you already suffer from lower back pain, it is important to check in with our Live Active Chiropractic team, in order to discuss which exercises are most suitable for you. Call us on 8073 3337 to book an appointment today.