What are the top 3 exercises for lower back pain? Almost everyone experiences some lower back pain or discomfort from time to time. It can range from minor tenderness when we stand in a specific position to as severe as debilitating pain, no matter what we try to do.
3 Best Exercises to Fight Chronic Lower Back Pain
And because lower back pain can severely affect our productivity, ability to move, mood, and daily life, it’s vital to take actionable steps to cure and prevent it from occurring. So we’ve put together this list of the top three exercises for lower back pain.
Bird Dog –
The bird dog is a fantastic core exercise that promotes core stability, teaches us how to involve our midsection during movement, and helps relieve back pain. The bird dog movement strengthens our abdominals, lower back, and hip flexors. As a result, we improve at maintaining a neutral spine, our posture improves, and we relieve back pain and discomfort. What’s even better about this movement is that it is suitable for people of all fitness levels. The bird dog is also great for older people suffering from backaches.
How to perform the Bird Dog: bring your shoulder blades together. Next, lift your right arm and left leg, keeping your shoulders and hips parallel to the floor. Next, stretch the back of your neck and pull your chin into your chest to look down at the ground. Hold this position for a few seconds, then lower back down to the starting position. You should start with one to three sets of 10 to 20 reps per leg-arm combination. So, 10-20 reps for your left arm-right leg and 10-20 reps for your opposite limbs.
Glute Bridges –
Glute bridges are a safe and incredibly effective exercise that strengthens the core and promotes proper spine alignment. Also, this exercise trains our posterior chain–hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. But the movement also strengthens our abdominals, transverse abdominis, and hip flexors. What’s even better about glute bridges is that people of all fitness levels can use them, and if the classic version is too accessible, you can always do it with one leg at a time.
How to perform Glute Bridges: lie face-up on the ground, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Keep your arms at your side with your palms face down. Lift your hips off the floor until your knees, hips, and shoulders form a line. Hold your bridged position for a couple of seconds before going back down slowly. Begin with one to three sets of 10 to 30 repetitions, do the exercise slowly, and squeeze your glutes at the top position.
Wall-Sit –
As an isometric exercise, wall sits benefit people who find that dynamic movement bothers their lower back. So, by doing wall sits, such people, can strengthen their core without putting more stress on the lower back. In addition, the exercise itself does a great job of maintaining the lower body, glutes, lower back, and abs. Also, wall sits promote proper posture and healthy spinal alignment.
How to perform Wall-Sit: lean on a wall with your back and your feet shoulder-width apart. Then press your back against the wall and slide down until your thighs parallel the floor. Your knees must be above your ankles and bent at 90 degrees. Keep your head, shoulders, and upper back against the wall.
To start, try holding a 30-second position. If you can’t, do it for as long as possible and call it a day. Ideally, you should be able to add seconds to the wall sit every few days.
The Last Word on the 3 Best Exercises to fight Lower Back Pain
These are some fantastic exercises that can help reduce lower back pain and prevent it from occurring in the future. But it’s important to remember that if you’re feeling pain in your lower back while doing any of these exercises, stop immediately. Sometimes, seeking professional help might be the best course of action. Still, this shouldn’t discourage you from trying the activities from above, as they certainly offer many benefits and do a great job of strengthening the core musculature.
