Back pain is a leading cause of missed work and disability in the U.S. and is a common reason people seek medical care.
Muscle and ligament strain is a major source of lower back pain for most people and is caused by repeated heavy lifting, poor body mechanics, and poor posture.
In other words, its caused by stresses and strains that we put our bodies through every day, but by improving our muscle strength and body mechanics, we can decrease our lower back pain.
Add pulling and lifting patients up in bed every day and we nurses can really wreck our backs!
If decreased back pain sounds like something that you need, then keep reading!
Not only do these 5 exercises that I’m about to give you work the back muscles, they also work the abdominal muscles, as well.
Abdominal muscles play a major role in maintaining core stability and without a strong core, our backs can suffer pretty quickly.
When our core muscles are weak, we aren’t able to maintain stability in our body as we move and groove throughout our day. Our back muscles then try to make up for what our abs lack, and become strained, causing back pain.
This is why I compiled a list of exercises to work not only the back but the abdominals, too. These exercises are a win, win!
And all of these exercises can be done without any equipment. Just you and your beautiful body.
So let’s get to it!
5 Lower Back Exercise to Decrease Pain
Back Exercise 1: Bird Dog
This is a simple yet surprisingly effective exercise that helps to both strengthen and stretch back muscles (as well as the abs).
To perform this exercise, you will need to lower yourself to the ground on your hands and knees.
Then, you will lift your right hand straight out in front of you and at the same time, lift your left leg straight back (so opposite arm and leg lifted at the same time).
Hold this for a few seconds then drop back down. Find your balance, and repeat with your left arm and left leg.
Do this 10 times.
To help cushion the knees against the floor, use a yoga mat or towel to make this exercise more comfortable.
Back Exercise 2: Cat Cow
This is another easy exercise but it feels so good on the back!
We are still here on our hands an knees and we are going to start with a neutral spine. This means you are going to draw your belly-button in until your spine is nice and straight.
From here, you are going to move into the “cat” pose, and arch your back high (just like a cat).
Hold for a few seconds, then drop down into “cow”, pushing your head, chest, and tailbone up while your abs move down towards the floor, creating a concave curve of the spine.
Hold this for a few seconds.
Alternate between cat and cow poses 10 times and feel the stretch in your spine. Feels good doesn’t it?
Back Exercise 3: Alternating Leg Pulls
One of my favorites exercises!
Grab that yoga mat or towel and lay down flat on your back, legs extended out and arms at your side.
Now, keeping your left leg extended out, pull your right knee into your chest using both arms.
Hold it for a few seconds and then release, placing your right leg back down on the floor.
Repeat with the left leg.
Alternate back and forth between legs 10 times.
Back Exercise 4: Glute Bridges
This one is a bit more challenging but it is a great exercise to strengthen both the abdominal and back muscles.
We are still lying on the floor on our backs, but this time with our knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Arms are resting out to the sides with palms down.
Now, we are going to keep our feet and palms flat on the floor and we are going to push our pelvis up to the ceiling, engaging our abs and glutes.
Hold this for a few seconds then drop back down to the ground.
Repeat 10 times.
You may “feel the burn” a little more with this exercise but that’s because it is working the full body, and that’s a good thing!
Back Exercise 5: Cobra
This is a great way to end any exercise session as it engages the back and abdominal muscles and has been noted to have great long-term benefits for the back.
For this one, lie down on your stomach and bring your hands up to your chest, palms pressing against the floor.
Now lift up through your hands until only your chest is off the ground.
You are going to feel a nice stretch up your back as your spine curves inward.
Repeat this stretch 3 times.
And that’s it! We’ve effectively worked and stretched our back and core muscles and with time, we should see a lot of improvement in lower back pain.
Bonus Tips to Further Decrease Back Pain
When your exercising, there’s always a bonus round, right?
But don’t worry. We will not be running a marathon as a bonus round. In fact, these bonus tips are very simple yet so effective in strengthening muscles and improving back pain.
Go for a Walk
Walking is an all-around great low impact exercise that has so many benefits. It aids in weight loss, improves posture, and strengthens back and abdominal muscles.
All of these, in turn, decrease back pain. It is something we all should be incorporating into our daily lives in some way.
Focus on Good Posture
Not only does good posture prevent you from looking like a slacker at your desk when your boss walks by but it is also good for your back!
Sitting and standing upright forces us to engage our back and abdominal muscles to maintain good posture, keeping those muscles strong and lean.
Slouching, on the other hand, creates abnormal strains on our muscles and weakens them, leading to back pain.
So straighten up, okay? It will really help your back!
Maintain Proper Body Mechanics
We have all heard it time and again, “lift with your knees, not with your back”. But its so true!
Reaching down to pick something up and bending from the waist puts all of that heavy weight right onto your back, which is already an area most of us are struggling to keep strong as it is.
So don’t add extra stress to your back by doing this. Instead, squat down, pick up the object that needs moved, and push up through your heels.
This saves your back so much tension and stress by making your legs do all the work, the way they were meant to.
Summary
Daily back pain in something that a large portion of Americans deal with every day. It affects their work life, personal life, and productivity.
Its is a leading reason for seeking medical care, costing individuals their hard-earned money, as well.
But through a few simple lower back exercises and proper posture and body mechanics, we can improve the strength of our back and core, and decrease back pain.
Try these exercises out and tell me what you think in the comments! Or send me an email. I’d love to connect with you.
Resources:
- Mayo Clinic. Back Pain.
- RPI Therapy Services. 5 of the Best Exercises to Prevent Lower Back Pain.
