While lower back exercises are far less glamorous than ab exercises, they are equally as essential.
Weakness in the lower back is one of the leading causes of chronic back pain in adults, but if you’re a complete beginner or you’re returning to exercise following an extended break, you might be struggling to know where to start.
Below, Coach Milad and Ryan, the experts behind the Instagram account tailoredfitPT, share their three simple exercises to build lower back strength. Of course, as always, if you’re pregnant or postpartum, or you’re recovering from a specific injury, it’s always best to seek personalized advice from a qualified professional.
What are the exercises?
These exercises are designed to prevent aches and pains in the lower back. You’ll target deep abdominal muscles, glutes, and back muscles, all of which work together to protect your spine.
For the exercises, you’ll need a dumbbell or weight plate (check out the best adjustable dumbbells for working out at home here). If you don’t have one, grab a heavy book or a filled milk carton.
- Single leg extensions: For this exercise, start by lying on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees in a tabletop position. Hold a dumbbell in both hands above your head and curl your head, neck, and shoulders off the mat. From here, engage your core and extend one leg out and away from your body. Pause here, before bringing it back into tabletop position and repeating on the other side.
- Pallof press: You can do this exercise using the cable machine at the gym, or one of the best resistance bands if you’re working out at home. Start by getting into a lunge position, pressing your front knee slightly out, away from your body, to activate the glute medius. Then, holding the cable or resistance band in both hands, press the band or cable out away from your body for 10-20 reps. If this is too difficult, opt for leg raises in a side plank position instead to work your obliques.
What are the benefits?
Lower back strength is fundamental to your torso’s stability as you move around your day-to-day life.
The muscles in your lower back, particularly the erector spinae muscles and deep multifidus muscles, work with the deep abdominal muscles to create a strong, stable core.
This helps prevent injuries and falls, as when the muscles in the lower back are weak, you’re more likely to hurt yourself when bending, twisting, or lifting.
If you spend a lot of time sitting down, working on your lower back is essential when it comes to preventing pain. Exercises like those mentioned above counteract the effects of all that sitting to help maintain a healthy spine.
The exercises in this workout help build functional fitness. Your lower back is the anchor point for transferring force between your upper and lower body. When you have a strong lower back, you’ll stand taller, maintain balance, and maintain a neutral spine when lifting — whether that’s a heavy weight or a toddler.
Finally, for seniors, maintaining lower back strength is key to retaining independence for longer.
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