One of the most familiar reasons for lower back pain is slouching. Most of us work at a desk hunched over our computer for more than 30 hours a week, so seeing the high record of reported back pain is unsurprising. It would help if you learned properly about the exercises for lower back pain. Your back is a column of bones held together by muscles, and if any part of the spine has a problem, it will result in back pain.
To ease this pain, exercises, and stretches are an essential part of any treatment plan. When you develop lower back pain, know that you must strengthen weak muscles and lengthen tight muscles in your back. However, research suggests that patients with back pain should only perform some exercises, such as sit-ups. With the approval of your healthcare, the following exercises will relieve your back pain.
Exercises for Lower Back Pain Relief: 11 Steps
- Hamstring stretches:
Hamstring stretches are one of the typical exercises. It will relieve your lower back pain. Almost everyone I see tries to stretch by touching their toe. But there are ways to lengthen the hamstrings more effectively. The hamstrings are four muscles on the back of each thigh, where some of these muscles support the work of the lower back. I prefer the following tips for an effective hamstring stretch.
- First, lie on your back with your knee bent and feet on the floor.
- Next, straighten the knee on the unbent leg so your heel can press up to the ceiling.
- Wrap a yoga strap or belt around the unbent foot and hold the ends in both hands.
- Keep equal weight in both your left and right hips. Don’t let your knee fall to the outside, or you will avoid stretching part of the hamstrings.
- Pull back the belt slowly.
- Stop where you feel the first sensation. Hold the stretch for a moment and direct the breath to the rear of your thigh.
- Repeat with the other leg. Do it two to four times.
- Partial crunches:
Abdominal or partial crunches are exercises designed to strengthen the stomach and lower back muscles. It’s a perfect exercise to relieve back pains. If you suffer from neck pain or doing this exercise causes neck pain, you should avoid it. To do these exercises, follow these steps.
- Lie back, raising your knee with your feet flat on the floor.
- Place arms across your chest with hands on opposite shoulders.
- While keeping your stomach muscles tight, pull your chin in and lift your head & shoulders about 75 to 100mm.
- Hold on to this position for about one second, then slowly lower yourself to the floor.
- Repeat the same about five to ten times.
- Wall sits:
Another treatment for back pain is a wall sit exercise. Most of us sit at the computer for a long time which is the leading cause of lower back pain. Trying out some wall squats will help. Here are the steps
- Please ensure that your back is firmly against the wall., with your feet about 2 feet away and shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your arms straight out in front of your body at shoulder level.
- Slide down against the wall until your knee is at right angles, and then push your lower back against the wall.
- Hold on to this position for ten seconds and then slide back up, keeping your eyes to the front and your back pressing against the wall.
- Repeat the same about ten times.
- Press-up back extensions:
Back extension workout both stretches and strengthens your lower back. It’s a perfect solution if you are developing back pain. To perform these exercises, follow these steps.
- Lie on your stomach, face down, position your hands straight in front of you, palms down, and legs straight out behind you.
- Pull your abs in and try to create a small area between your stomach and the floor.
- Lift your left leg and right arm about an inch from the floor, and stretch out as much as possible.
- Hold on to this position for ten seconds, then lower your leg and arm back down.
- Repeat the exact move with the right leg and left arm.
- Bird dog:
Don’t judge it by the name. The bird dog, a quadruped, is the best fitness routine to relieve low back pain. It’s just a simple exercise every physical therapist uses to teach core stability by simultaneously engaging the abdominals and back muscles. This is how it goes.
- As you begin, place your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Tighten your abdominal muscles. Extend your right arm along and your left leg backward. Remember to keep your rib cage from sagging toward the floor.
- Focus on reaching through your left heel to engage the muscles in the rear of your leg and buttocks.
- Return to the earlier position, placing your hand and knee on the floor.
- Complete the rep by reaping on the other side.
- Go for about ten reps.
- Knee to chest:
A knee to the chest is another alternative to ease back pain. However, for your safety, I recommend you start with one leg. If, after a few days, you are performing without pain, you can advance to lifting both legs. Follow these steps to achieve it safely.
- The first step is the prone position. This is done by fibbing on your back with your knees curved and your feet flat on the floor.
- Gently raise one knee to your chest with the different feet flat on the floor. Taking both legs up simultaneously takes a lot of abdominal strength. So starting with one leg is much safer than quickly shifting to another. Remember to keep your lower back flat.
- Hold for a few seconds.
- Then lower back and repeat the same with each leg two to four times.
- Pelvic tilts:
Pelvic tilts can be done with many positions, but supine is the least challenging of all the posts. This makes it the best variation, especially when dealing with back pains.
- Lie on the base with your knee bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Squash your back against the floor by pulling your abdominal muscles and bending your pelvis slightly.
- Hold up for ten seconds and repeat the same about 12 times.
- Bridging:
The bridge exercise is another perfect way to strengthen back muscles, buts, and hamstrings. It is considered an ideal exercise routine to improve your core and stabilize your spine. Follow the following steps for a proper bridge exercise.
- Lay on your back, placing your hands by your side. Bent your knee and flatten your feet on the floor.
- Tighten your abs and buttock muscles. Ensure that your feet are under your knee.
- Pull your belly switch back toward your spine, trying to squeeze your core.
- Lower your back on the floor to prevent your hips from sagging.
- Hold on for about 30 seconds.
- Repeat the same for ten repetitions and two sets.
- Aerobic exercise:
You might think you are doing the aerobic exercise correctly, but you are not. So, here are some actions on how to do it correctly for an effective back pain reliever.
- Warm up first before starting.
- Choose a suitable aerobic class. There is a vast difference between regular exercise and anaerobic exercise. An actual aerobic exercise should consist of continuous movement that raises your heart rate for 20 minutes. So when you are exercising in your gym, it doesn’t mean you are doing aerobic exercise. Swimming, dance-based, or martial arts classes can still be aerobic classes.
- Make sure you choose a course that takes 20 minutes of continuous movement.
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- Try Some palate moves:
Pilate is a method of workout that consists of low-impact flexibility and muscular strength. It emphasizes proper posture alignment and core strength, which can remedy back pain. Although machines can do it, You can also do it at home without using any gear. Pilates exercise is a gentle exercise for everyone and great for people with muscle imbalance. If you have back pain, especially a serious one, please consult with your healthcare before you begin any Pilate program. However, if you choose to do it, it is essential to have an instructor who is fully certified and aware of your pain.
- Lifting weight may help:
Lifting weights can help reduce back pain. Although the point here isn’t to pad out your muscles like a bodybuilder, the primary focus is to develop strength, especially on your back. Incorporate a mixture of weight lifting and strengthening exercises to relieve back pain for better results. To get started, you can work with your trainer.
Some Precautions
- Avoid: Sit-ups:
You’ve probably heard you will ease your back during the sit-up. But while strong abdominal muscles are good, sit-ups might not be a solution. This is because they shorten your abdominal muscles, flatten your lower back, and remove your natural curve. Instead of sit-ups, I prefer to do reverse curl exercise, in which you can go through the following steps.
- Lay on your back with your knee up.
- Move your knees so they are over your waist.
- Press your abs and bring your knee closer to your face. Remember, having a muscular balance on all sides of your body is the key to relieving back pain. If your back is healthy, all the muscles will work in balance, reducing back pains.
- Focus on your stomach muscles.
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- Avoid: Toe touches:
When our back starts aching, most of us rush to toe touching, which can be a potentially dangerous exercise for your back. This is because when you stretch your back for an extended term, you might develop a permanently stretched back muscle that creates a loosely held lumbar spine prone to injury.
- Avoid: Leg lift:
Leg lifts can help strengthen your hip flexors and the muscles on top of your stomach. But you don’t do it by lying on your back and lifting both legs, leading to lower back pain. However, with little modifications, leg lifts can be a regular workout program to ease back pain as long as you execute the proper form. Trying this modified leg lift will ease your pain.
- Lie on your rear on an exercise mat.
- Put your legs together and raise them in front of you. Extend your arm on the floor alongside your torso facing your palms down.
- Press your stomach muscle toward your spine to protect your lower back. Your head and shoulders should rest on the floor during the exercise.
- Lift your legs toward the ceiling until they are directly over your hips. I prefer you to keep your legs straight throughout the exercise. However, if you bend your knee slightly, you can loosen your hamstring and alleviate any strain on your lower back.
- Hold this tightening for a second, then slightly lower your leg back to your starting point.
- Repeat the exact ten to fifteen times.
Final Speech
Your back is vital for putting it at risk. It would help if you took these recommended exercises for lower back pain seriously. These exercises will relieve your back pain and improve your health and fitness if done three to four times a week.
