Lower Back Strengthening Exercises

Mark Perren-Jones from the Haven Spa and Health Clinic

this is not what i am asking you to do-yet

Lower back strengthening exercises

These exercises are for all lower back pain. Those people who suffer from disc pain, sciatica and pain which is worse from sitting or bending forwards and is normally better when standing are going to benefit enormously from these.

These exercises work on several levels. You will be doing 3 exercises which build your lower back muscles whilst extending your back which also benefits the disc placement. This is extremely important. The fourth will strengthen your core muscles as well. Also, the simple act of sitting up straight all day will build your postural muscles as well. Your lower back will feel much better!

Before we get to the exercises I need to point out that you can do these lower back strengthening exercises until the cows come home but if you continue to sit poorly, slouch over the computer, bend and lift poorly you will not remove the causes of your back pain. You MUST assume good posture AT ALL TIMES. I advise you to get a lumbar roll to help you sit in a more upright position in your chairs. You need to be sitting with the lower back having its small inward arch always. If you do not, you will be in a slouched position which over stretches the lower back muscles and ligaments which cause pain. If you do this for long enough the ligaments that surround the discs can lose their integrity and the disc can protrude/herniate or slip (a disc doesn’t actually slip but that’s for another post). If it protrudes enough it will press on the nerves and the most common nerve that gets pressed on is at the bottom of the lumbar spine called the sciatic nerve. Therefore you must remove the causes of your lower back pain to remain pain free. If you were to cut your elbow but you kept bending your elbow the cut would not get a chance to heal. However, if you avoided bending your elbow for about a week your elbow would heal nicely. Your back is the same! If you have hurt your back or continually suffer from lower back pain, sciatica or disc pain you must implement these guidelines above. I have written much more on this subject in my back pain section of my blog.

Exercise 1: egg under your chest

• lie on your stomach with arms by your sides
• imagine you have a raw egg under your chest and you don’t want to break it
• therefore you have to lift your chest off the floor gently
• come up and down, don’t strain just do them comfortably
• do as many as you can and as you build up strength you can hold for longer and also do more repetitions
• you can also do this with your arms out in front of you when you have more strength
• breathe

Exercise 2: eggs under your thighs

• still laying on your stomach imagine you have an egg under each thigh
• therefore you have to lift the thighs off the floor to avoid breaking the eggs
• it’s the same as exercise 1, hold for a few seconds and then bring your legs back to the floor
• Increase your reps. and length of time when you are able to.
• Don’t strain and remember to breathe

Exercise 3: superman!

• Ok here’s your chance to become a superhero
• This is a combination of the two previous exercises
• Lift your legs and arms from the floor (hands are out in front of you like superman-yippee!)
• This is quite challenging so work up to it, after all not everyone can become a superhero overnight.
• The same as before, build up your reps. and the time you hold the position
• Be careful with your neck; do not overly arch it upwards. You can keep looking at the floor when you do this if its easier for your neck
• Don’t strain and remember to breathe

Exercise 4: the push up

• Hold a push up position
• Place your hands under your shoulders. You may also like to do these with your hands in a fist position
• You are going to hold this push up position but you MUST NOT HAVE AN ARCH IN YOUR LOWER BACK. You need to use your core muscles to keep your back from sagging. Keep your lower back straight. You may need someone to watch you so that they can tell you if your lower back is straight or not.
• Hold for as long as you can comfortably
• Breathe

And that’s it! Remember:

1. at all times use good posture
2. lift and bend properly, not with a rounded back
3. do these exercises daily
4. enjoy being pain free