5 Exercises to Strengthen Your Lower Back to Beat Aches and Pain

Ready to take pressure off your lower back and strengthen it? There’s nothing quite as frustrating as back pain, and we’re here to help protect you from those terrible headaches.

“Today, we’re going to show you some exercises to strengthen the muscles around your lower back, so you won’t have lower back pain in the future,” says the physical therapist. Daniel Giordano, DPT, PT, CSCS of Tailor-made treatmentsin our most recent episode of The Fix.

Watch the video above for a detailed tutorial on each move, and read on for our quick breakdowns of the exercises.

5 exercises to strengthen the lower back

elbow plank

Get on the floor, with your stomach on the floor (prone position). Prop yourself up on your elbows and lift your knees off the ground. Squeeze your quads and glutes and continue to push through your elbows and lift your chest. Do this five times with a 30 second hold for each table. “If you can’t do 30 seconds, start with 10 seconds [or] start with 15 seconds and then build up,” says Giordano. “We want to make sure that we start with an isometric core exercise, so that the core muscles are activated…without putting pressure on the lower back.”

side table

This move is also a core isometric position, this time strengthening your oblique muscles. Lying on your side, stagger your feet so there is no pressure on your heels. Come up on your elbow into the side plank position, keeping your lower hips off the ground and your core engaged. Push through your elbow and pack that shoulder blade back. Again, 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 grip

In a standard plank position, bring your knee up toward your opposite elbow and hold it for three seconds in a dorsiflexed position (in this case, that means flexing your toes toward your knees). Do about eight reps on each side with a three-second hold at the top. “The reason we are doing these isometric holds here in this position [pausing by your elbow] is that we want to start strengthening the hip flexor muscle,” says Giordano, adding that the hip flexor muscle is a vertical stabilizer of the spine. “So we need to make sure that muscle is strong enough for your core to stay strong, taking the pressure off your lower back.”

High plank with drag

Get into a high plank (push-up) position with your glutes and quads engaged and pushing through your hands as you lift your chest off the floor. Reach with one arm over a sandbag placed next to your abs on the opposite side and pull it to the other side trying to keep your hips as stable as possible. Do about eight reps on each side. Your obliques will feel it. Keep your core as tight as possible to take pressure off your lower back and start with a lighter weight and increase over time.

bear plank

Get on all fours on the floor, bring your knees under your hips, pushing through your feet and hands. Raise your knees about two inches off the ground and hold for 30 seconds for five sets, although you can start with 10 to 15 seconds and then work your way up to 30 seconds. “When you’re doing these bear planks, make sure you’re pushing through those hands and feet, keeping your core tight, engaging all the muscles around your lower back to strengthen the area and take pressure off your lower back. back”. Giordano says.

Do you want to continue addressing lower back pain in your exercise routine? add theseFive Lower Back Mobility Exercises for Better Mobility in your life and thank us later.