by Marshall Evans: Most of us have experienced lower back pain, one of the most common forms of chronic pain, at some time in our lives…
And the causes of lower back pain are numerous. In fact, some people have an exercise-related injury while some others are self-inflicted due to their bad habits and therein lies the problem.
Generally, more and more people have desk jobs in front of a computer and this is not good at all, especially for the spine health. But don’t worry, exercise can help. In fact, there are a lot of different movements that can help relieve back pain and prevent it. Therefore, in this article, I’ll show the best exercises you can do at home to prevent lower back pain from sitting too much.
1. Crunches
One of the classic core-strengthening exercises is the crunch. This movement can help build strength both in your abs and lower back, thus, making this on a perfect choice for those who have Spondylosis.
How to get the most out of the exercises
- Step 1: Lie on your back with the knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Step 2: Keep your arms crossed over your chest or put your hands behind your head
- Step 3: Tighten your abs, take a breath and raise your shoulder blades from the floor while keeping your head neutral and the lower back on the floor.
- Step 4: Once you reach the top of the movement, hold for a second and then slowly lower your shoulders back down to the floor.
Repeat this exercise for an intended amount of repetitions.
- Note: Keep your feet, tailbone still. Do not lift your lower back off the floor throughout the exercise.
2. Hip Raises
This is a very good exercise for your spine as it directly targets your lower back muscles and core. Also, it is not difficult to do so you can do it anywhere and anytime you want.
How to do it:
- Step 1: Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat just like you’re going to do the crunch.
- Step 2: Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings to raise your hips until your body creates a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
- Step 3: At the top of the movement, hold for 2-3 seconds and then slowly lower to return to the starting position.
Repeat the exercise for an intended amount of repetitions.
3. Back extensions with stability ball
This exercise requires you to use a large stability ball which is a very good item for your core. Therefore, this movement is especially for women or elders who want to improve their stability.
How to do it:
- Step 1: Start with your hips on a stability ball and feet just outside shoulder-width apart.
- Step 2: Put your hands behind your head and use your lower back to curl up.
- Step 3: Once you reach the top of the movement, hold for 1 seconds and then slowly curl back down over the ball.
Perform 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.
4. Hamstring Stretch
This exercise doesn’t directly work your lower back muscles or strengthen your core but it can help you prevent lower back pain very effectively.
How to do it:
- Step 1: Grab a resistance band or towel and lie on your back with one leg flat on the floor.
- Step 2: Thread the band or towel beneath the ball of your foot on the other leg.
- Step 3: Pull it and straighten your knee slowly just like you’re trying to kick your leg up directly into the air. You should feel a gentle stretch along your hamstring.
- Step 4: Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and do the same thing for the other leg.
- Note: if you choose a band, make sure to choose one that you’re comfortable as they come in all kinds of resistance levels (from 10 pounds to even 100 pounds)
5. Bird Dog
This exercise is quite interesting and it’s a very effective way to ease your lower back pain. Specifically, the bird dog helps stabilize your lower back during the movements of your legs and arms.
Here is how it’s done:
- Step 1: Start with the quadruped position with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees under the hips.
- Step 2: Straighten your back or keep it slightly arched.
- Step 3: Lift, extend one leg behind your body and reach the opposite arm out in front of you at the same time while keeping your hip level still.
- Step 4: Hold the position for a few seconds
Go about 10 reps for each side.
Author Bio
Marshall Evans
(Founder/Author)
I’m Marshall Evans and am a founder of AestheticGuys.com. I love fitness so I spent years searching for training and nutrition tips to get in shape. I really want to share my experiences and all my tips with anyone who cares about health and fitness, that’s why I started AestheticGuys.com in 2017. Through the blog, I will have a chance to write about everything I want to share with you guys to make you love fitness more and help you get an aesthetic body.
