10 Best Ways to Strengthen Your Lower Back

Image credit: Crawford medical

Strengthening your lower back comes with so many benefits. One of the benefits is that if you have a strengthened lower back, you can reduce the chances of experiencing lower back pain. Now, it has been established that exercise can actually help avoid most issues that affect the lower back. Exercising helps to boost blood circulation to your lower back area and also reduces stiffness there which might cause pain. However, if your pain remains persistent, then you will need to go to your doctor to see if there is anything else you can do to relieve this. For example, they may suggest traditional medication or even low price bud, or, in the worst cases, you may even need to go for surgery. 

Now, let’s check out these lower back exercises which will help you maintain a healthy and pain-free lower back. Here we go:

1. The superman

It’s a great beginner move that focuses on the lower back area and will require just your body weight to do. Place a mat on a flat floor and then lie on your stomach stretching your arms out to your front and legs behind, just like superman does it. Get your legs and arms raised from the floor and you will feel the muscles of your back activated. Hold it this way for a few seconds then release.

2. Partial crunches

Core muscles usually work together and this exercise works to strengthen the abs and lower back. If you are already grappling with back pain, it would be better for you to focus on doing this partial movement. It is one of the best exercises for lower back pain that will ensure you become fit.

3. Bird dog

This exercise is good at giving you a stronger core. To do it, on your hands and knees, stretch the left leg back and your right arm forward. Keep your balance in the position and maintaining a straight back.

Your lower back may feel like sagging as you perform this movement but just concentrate on keeping it straight up. You then repeat with the other leg and arm.

4. Straight leg deadlifts

If you do this exercise right it will really help you get a strengthened back. To do it safely and efficiently, you will have to approach it with correct form. When practicing this exercise, just ensure that you keep your back as straight as you go down and the rise back to standing.

5. Leg lifts

This exercise should not be practiced if you have not developed some muscle strength in your lower back area. This lower back exercise targets the muscles in your lower back and abdominal muscles as well. 

6. Perform stretches

If you are experiencing pain in the back i.e. lower left back pain or lower right back pain, stretches can also be beneficial. Hamstring stretches can also come in handy for you to strengthen your back.

7. Wall sits

This is essentially getting yourself standing near a wall and then squatting a little bit then leaning against the wall with your back. You can hold in that position for a count of up to 10 or more depending on your resilience.

8. Knee to chest

You can lie on your back on the floor on a mat with your knees bent. Slowly brig one of your knees toward your chest while leaving the other knee on the floor. Leave your lower back pressed against the floor and you may hold this way for at least 15 seconds.

9. Pelvic tilts

In this exercise you lie on your back and bending your knees then tighten your stomach muscles by contracting them. You should feel your lower back pressing against the floor with your hips and pelvis in a somewhat back motion.

10. Lift light weights

When this is done properly your will benefit a lower back that is well strengthened and pain free. Just ensure that you don’t lift weight that is too heavy to avoid injury.