Lower back pain and chronic lower back pain affects 80% of people according to the National Center for Health Statistics. It is the leading reason in the world for disability based on a 2010 study, Global Burden of Disease. Lower back pain can be so intense it incapacitates people for days and weeks. If you’ve ever experienced back pain, you know just how agonizing it can be to move and go about your daily life. The worst part is there is very little respite from the pain even if you sit or try to sleep.
People cope with the pain in many ways from pain relief pills to regular visits to chiropractors. Of course, there are those people, due to the cause of their back pain, that opt for surgery. However, for most people, regular stretching and strengthening of the muscles around the lower back can have a dramatic effect on the level of pain they experience.
There are many different types of exercises for the lower back and most are effective if you have the discipline to spend 10 to 15 minutes everyday working through the cycle that works best for you. Whatever exercises you choose, most revolve around warming up and stretching the muscles around the lower back, the outside of the hips, inside of the hips and the abdomen.
1. Cat/Cow
A great lower back stretching exercise that that moves your back from an arch to a curl, producing spinal flexibility and abdominal strength. To perform the exercise, kneel on all fours with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees directly below your hips. Exhale and gently arch your spine. Inhale, tighten your core muscles and round your back, like a cat. Move slowly between movements and hold in each position for 5-10 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
2. Sphinx
A favorite for stretching the lower back and getting traction along the spine, start the Sphinx by laying on your stomach with having your legs straight. With your pelvis pressed against the ground, prop yourself on your elbows about shoulders length apart with your fingers touching. Now pull your elbows forward, keeping your pelvis stationary. You’ll feel traction along your spine as it elongates. Hold for about 10 seconds. Repeat if desired.
3. Bridge
There are multiple variations of the bridge, each serving to mobilize the lower back. The classic bridge is performed by lying on your back with knees bent and your feet placed hip distance apart on the floor. Take a deep breath in and as you breathe out lift your hips off the floor until shoulders hips and knees are in a straight line. As you breathe in lower your hips to the floor. Repeat eight to twelve times.
