Spinalogy Blogs

The best way to strengthen your lower back is by moving and doing mild exercises. Inactivity can weaken the muscles further and even aggravate the pain. However, exercises should also be performed with caution and only after consulting a professional as certain exercises can be harmful to the back.

1. You should begin with mild exercises and slowly increase the intensity as your muscles and bones become stronger. There might be mild pain at the beginning due to muscle weakness but doing it consistently will slowly strengthen the muscles and the pain will eventually go away. If the pain doesn’t go away and lasts for more than 10-15 minutes during exercise then you need to cease the workout and call your healthcare professional.
2. Exercises such as standing toe touches can overstretch the back and cause pain and discomfort. While bending down for a toe touch your ligaments and discs bear a lot of pressure and can get further damaged in case your spine is already compromised.
3. Some exercises can aggravate back pain and should be avoided when you have acute low back pain. Partial crunches can be great for strengthening the back. It also builds back and stomach muscle strength.

With bent knees lie straight on the floor. Now focus on your core and breathe in. With hands either on the side of your head or crossed across your chest, raise yourself towards your knees. Breathe out as you raise your shoulders as this tightens the core further and helps in toning stomach muscles. Stay in this position for a few seconds and then lie back down. Make sure you’re using your core strength to lift yourself and not your neck or back as it can strain them.

Make sure your feet are on the ground along with your lower back and tailbone.

1. One exercise to avoid if you have lower back issues is sit-ups. These can cause immense pressure on the spine and discs if the core is not engaged.
2. Avoid: Leg Lifts

Leg lifts are an advanced type of exercise that demands immense core strength. These are not beginner level and should not be performed by those who are just starting to work out or have lower back issues.

1. Instead of leg lifts, you can try a low-impact version of the same where one leg is straight and the other bent at the knee. Now while lying flat on the ground slowly lift the straight leg up as you’d do with a regular leg lift. This distributes pressure from the lower back and is ideal for people with a weak core.
2. Bird dog is another fun and low-impact exercise that you can do to slowly strengthen your lower back. Assume position on your hands and knees and extend one leg. At the same time lift the opposite hand and extend in the same way. This is a great exercise for building core strength and does not strain the back at the same time.