5 Best Exercises to Strengthen Your Lower Back
We all know that exercise is obligatory in our everyday life. The human body was designed to be active. Like a race car is designed to go fast, the same way our body is designed to move. If a vehicle is taken out once in a week, its engine can develop problems quickly. Likewise, if we sit down all day watching TV or doing work on the laptop, there are high chances that we might develop issues. Pain in shoulder, lower back, neck, joints, and in muscles can be treated with regular exercise. Most people deal with back or lower back problems, and they should be resolved on time before they get worse. According to researchers, exercise increases blood flow to the lower back area, which can decrease stiffness and speeds up the healing process. Below, we have explained a few exercises which strengthen the lower back and can help you with its pain. To learn how to do these exercises, keep on reading!
1. Bridges
Bridge strengthens your gluteus maximus (butt muscle) and hamstrings (back of the thigh), which are one of the most critical muscles of your body. These muscles are responsible for your hip movement, and keeping them strong can reduce your lower back pain. To perform a bridge, you need to follow these steps:
- Lie on the ground with your hands at your sides and feet flat on the floor hip-width apart
- Bend the knees and tighten your buttock and abdominal muscles
- Raise your butts off the ground to create a straight line from your shoulders to the knees
- Squeeze your core with the shoulders still on the floor
- Lower your buttock to the ground
- Wait for a few seconds and return to your starting position
- Complete at least 10-15 reps
2. Lower Back Rotational Stretches
This exercise helps relieve tension in the trunk and lower back. It also gradually work the buttock muscles to improve stability. Follow these instructions to perform this exercise:
- Lie on your back, keep your knees bent and feet flat
- Keep your shoulders stable on the floor and roll knees over to the left side
- Stay in this position for 10-15 seconds
- Return to the starting position
- Roll the bent knees over to your right hand
- Repeat this exercise for 3-4 times on each side, two times a day
3. Knee-to-Chest Stretches
This exercise helps best to restore flexibility in lower back muscles and may help ease stiffness related to spinal arthritis and spinal stenosis. Following these steps increase blood supply and can also improve the performance of joints.
- Lie on the ground and keep your feet flat and your knees bent
- Gently raise one bent knee towards the chest using your hands
- Hold your knee for up to 5 seconds
- Return to your starting position
- Repeat the same steps with your other leg
- Do the stretch for 10-15 times, twice a day
4. Pelvic Tilts
Your pelvic helps you to walk, run, and helps to maintain proper posture. This exercise is ideal if you have lower back pain, hip and knee pain, incorrect posture, or forced hip and knee rotations. But if you are not getting real help doing these exercises, you should seek professional assistance. BeachPainCenter.com offers top-rated pain management and chiropractic treatments. To perform pelvic tilts, follow these steps:
- Lie back on the ground keep your knees bent, feet flat, and arms by the sides
- Arch the lower back and push your stomach out
- Hold for 4-5 seconds and relax
- Flatten your back and pull the belly button towards the floor
- Again hold for 4-5 seconds and relax
- Do this exercise daily, increasing the number of reps
5. Supermans
To maintain a good posture, you need strong back extensors. This exercise does not require any equipment and targets your core, glutes, lower back, and shoulders. Steps to perform a superman:
- Lie face down towards the floor with your arms stretched in front of you and keeping your legs extended behind
- Raise both your hands and feet in the air with approx. six inches gab between them and ground
- Try to engage your core muscles and pull in the belly button
- Keep looking at the floor to avoid any neck injury
- Stay in this position for 2-3 seconds
- Return to the starting position
- Repeat these movements ten times every day
