5 Exercises to Strengthen Your Lower Back to Beat Aches and Pain
LOWER BACK PAIN can be one of the most frustrating physical maladies you'll face, and it's likely that you will, at some point or another, experience the issue. Mayo Clinic statistics hold that around 80 percent of adults will have low back pain at some point, due to a whole variety of factors, from spinal degeneration over your lifetime to injury to environmental factors like poor posture. But no matter the cause of your lower back pain, you'll want to find a way to alleviate the issue. Trying these six stretches can help in the short term—but once you've beat the pain, the next step is strengthening the muscles in question to prevent the problem from flaring up again.
The best way to do that is to strengthen the muscles around your core, according to Daniel Giordano, DPT, PT, C.S.C.S., a physical therapist at Bespoke Treatments and Men's Health Advisory Board member. You're not going to be gunning for big-time muscle growth here; function is your main goal. Your core is tasked with supporting and protecting your spine, after all—so making sure that those muscles are stronger will be the surest way to prevent your lower back pain in the future. Giordano has a four-move series you can use to do just that.
All of these movements utilize bracing, one of the key functions of your core. This is when you create stability between the shoulders and hips to support the spine. You'll squeeze your core to create tension, which will in turn help to improve your posture when you're doing everything from sitting in a desk to lifting weights.
How You Can Strengthen Your Lower Back
You'll strengthen your lower back by strengthening your core (abs and oblique muscles) and hip flexor muscles, which will in turn help to take pressure off your lower back to alleviate pain. Again, you'll do this not by lifting heavy weights to build strength, but by creating tension in your muscles through bracing exercises.
Watch the video above to see an in-depth tutorial of each move and keep reading for our brief breakdowns of the exercises.
5 Exercises to Strengthen Your Lower Back
Elbow Plank
5 rounds of 30 second holds
The standard plank does more than just help to hone your six-pack. Core strength equals low back support—so you'll want to kick off this series here. “If you can't do 30 seconds, start with 10 seconds [or] start with 15 seconds and then work your way up,” says Giordano. “We want to make sure that we're starting with an isometric core exercise, so we get those core muscles firing… not putting any pressure on your lower back.”
How to Do It:
Get on the ground, with your stomach on the floor (a prone position). Prop yourself up on your elbows and lift your knees off the ground.
Tighten your quads and glutes and continue to push through your elbows and lifting your chest off the floor.
Hold this position, squeezing your glutes and maintaining core tension.
Do this five times with a 30-second hold for each plank.
Side Plank
5 rounds of 30 second holds
This move is also an isometric core position, this time strengthening the obliques, the muscles that run along the sides of your torso.
How to Do It:
Lying on your side, stagger your feet so there's no pressure on your heels. Raise up onto your elbow, keeping your lower hip high off the ground and the core engaged.
Push through your elbow to "pack" that shoulder blade back. Hold core tension and squeeze your glutes.
Aim for five sets with a 30-second hold for each plank, but you can start with 10- or 15-second holds and work your way up gradually.
High Plank with Knee Drive Hold
8 reps per side (with 3 second holds)
“The reason we're doing these isometric holds here in this position [pausing with your knee at your elbow] is we want to start to strengthen your hip flexor muscle,” says Giordano, adding that your hip flexor muscle is a vertical stabilizer of the spine. “So we need to make sure that that muscle is strong enough so your core stays strong, taking pressure off of your lower back.”
How to Do It:
Get in a standard high plank position with your palms on the floor.
Drive one knee up toward your opposite elbow and hold for three seconds in a dorsiflexion position (in this case, that means flexing your toes towards your knees).
Do about eight repetitions on each side with a three-second hold at the top.
High Plank with Pull Through
8 reps per arm
This is another movement that will get your obliques involved, which will help to take pressure off the low back. You'll need a sandbag or light weight you can use to pull from one side to the other.
How to Do It:
Get into a high plank (pushup) position with your glutes and quads tight and pushing through your hands as you lift your chest away from the ground.
Reach with one arm for a sandbag positioned by your abs on the opposite side, and pull it through to the other side, trying to keep your hips as stable as possible.
Do eight or so repetitions on each side.
Bear Plank
5 rounds of 30 second holds
“When you're doing these bear planks make sure you're pushing through those hands and pushing through those feet, keeping that core tight, engaging all the muscles around your lower back to strengthen the area and taking pressure off the lower back,” says Giordano.
How to Do It:
Get onto all fours on the ground, stacking your knees under your hips and pushing through the feet and the hands. Keep your back flat.
Lift your knees about two inches off the ground, squeezing your abs and glutes. Hold for 30 seconds for five sets, though you can start at 10 to 15 seconds and then work your way up to 30 seconds.
Want to keep addressing lower back pain in your fitness routine? Add these five lower back mobility exercises into your life for better movement.
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