The best workouts for easing lower back pain
Pain in your lower back is a debilitating & painful condition. Staying physically active can be an effective & cost-efficient method of soothing and preventing it. Exercise works well for strengthening your lower back, it helps in alleviating & preventing lower back pain and also strengthens your core, leg & arm muscles. Workout increases the blood flow in the lower back region, which reduces the stiffness & aid the healing process.
You feel the pain every time you bend down or you stand up. It is the groan-inspiring pain that shoots the lower back & never goes fully away. Pain in the lower back lies among the common types of chronic pain in adults. Resting and hoping the pain will go away itself doesn’t work in all the scenarios. Many doctors encourage patients to stay active & move the back & related pain relief treatment.
Back pain is common
Around 80% of people get affected by lower back pain one time or another. Origin can vary from person to person, the changes in lumbar structure because of musculoskeletal damage are one of the main causes. The human musculoskeletal system consists mainly of bones, tendons, muscles, ligaments & connective tissues which provide support, form, stability & ease of mobility.
The rest of the muscles also play a significant role in maintaining and retaining normal curvature of the spinal column which are commonly associated with back pain. It includes hip flexor & hamstring muscles.
Moving around and doing different activities help in relieving certain types of back pain, refrain from the workouts that induce so much stress & strain on your back. What exercise you should perform after getting in your workout clothes depends on the intensity of your pain, and its causes. Make sure you consult your doctor if you are suffering from some serious back pain issues and avoid heavy exertion on your lower back pain. In this article, we will guide you through some exercise that works very well in relieving lower back pains.
1) Bridges
Bridges target a person’s gluteus maximus directly, it is one of the large muscles present in your buttocks. This muscular group comes into engagement when people move the hips, particularly while bending into the squat position. Your gluteus maximus is an important muscle in your body, it being in a healthy position helps a lot in supporting your lower back.
After getting into the workout clothes, lie flat on the floor & bend both of your knees, place your feet flat on the ground at the hip-distance apart. Then press both of your feet on the floor, and keep both of your arms at the sides. Raise your buttocks from the ground till your body make a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Then squeeze your buttocks with your shoulders on the ground. After that, lower your buttocks close to the floor & rest for a few seconds. Repeat this movement 15 times & then take a rest for one minute. Perform three sets of 15 reps.
2) Knee-to-chest
This knee-to-chest exercise helps in lengthening the lower back & relieving the tension & pain. For performing a knee-to-chest workout lie down flat on the back with both of your knees bent & the feet planted flat and firmly on the ground. Use both of your hands, and grab the right part of your lower leg & interlace the fingers, while clasping the wrists right below your knees. Keep the left foot straight on the ground and gently pull the right knee up closer to the chest till you get the stretching sensation in your lower back.
Then hold the right knee against the chest for almost 30 to 60 seconds, make sure you relax the legs, hips, & lower back. Then release the right knee & return to the starting position. Repeat the whole workout 3 times with each of your legs.
3) Lower back rotational stretches
Lower back rotational stretches help a lot in relieving the tension in your lower back & trunk region. It works gently on your core muscles for improving stability. For performing these lower back rotational stretches lay down straight on the ground by bending both of your knees & feet planted firmly flat on the floor. Then Keep both of your shoulders firmly attached to the ground, roll gently and bend both of your knees to one side. Then hold this position up to fine to ten seconds. And return to the position from where you started.
Then gently roll your knees to the opposite side, hold your position & then return to starting position. Repeat the workout two to three times on each side two times a day.
4) Cat-cow stretch
This cat-cow stretch is a very useful workout that helps with increasing flexibility & easing the tension in the back & core muscles. For performing the cat-cow stretch go onto the hands
&knees with the knees hip-distance apart. It’s your starting position. Then arch the back by pulling the belly button up closer to the spine, letting the head drop in the forward position. It’s the cat portion of this stretch.
Hold this position for almost five to ten seconds. You will start feeling a gentle stretch in the lower region. Then return to the position from where you started. After that raise the head & let the pelvis fall slightly forward, curve your back a little down close to the ground. It’s the cow part of this stretch. Then hold this position for five to ten seconds, and return to the position form where you started. Repeat this stretch 15–20 times.
Depending on your comfort level you can also perform this exercise by sitting on the chair with both of your feet planted straight and flat on the ground & hands on the knees, this makes it perfect for stretches to work.
5) Seat forward bend
Hamstrings are the muscles that are located on the back of the thighs and are one of the common causes of lower back pain & injuries. Seated forward bend stretching makes your hamstring muscles relieve the tightness & release tension in the spine. For performing seat forward bend start with sitting straight on the ground with both of the legs straight at your front. Then hook the standard towel around the bottoms of the feet at your heels.
Gently do a forward bend at the hips, bring the belly down at the thighs. Make sure you keep the back straight, then grab that towel for bringing the belly close to the legs. After that stretch till you get that mild tension in the legs & back. Hold this position for 30 secs, rest repeat it 3 times. The tension in this stretch can be increased or decreased the way you grab a towel close or far from the feet. This workout also makes you flexible with time.
7) Supported bridge
Try using a foam roller/firm cushion for performing this supported bridge exercise. This helps in decompressing the back by supported elevations. For performing supported bridge starts with laying on the back with both of the knees bent & feet planted flat and firmly on the ground. Then lift the hips & place the foam roller underneath them. Relax your whole body completely in the support of the ground & the foam roller. Hold this position for 30–60 secs & repeat 3–5 times, take 30–60 secs rest in between the sets.
8) Flexion rotation
This exercise helps with stretching the lower back & buttocks. For performing this exercise. Lay at the right side with the legs straight. Then bend the left leg, hook the foot behind the right knee. After that, grab the left knee by using the right arm. Then place the left hand at the back of your neck. Then rotate the upper body and touch the floor with your left shoulder blade. While doing this you will feel a mild stretch in the back. Repeat the rotational stretch ten times, hold each stretch up to 1–3 secs before moving out.