By Introduction
Low back pain (LBP) can be disabling. But it can be treated with exercise and stretching. Core muscles are strengthened with exercise and flexibility is improved by stretching. Both have to be done together for the best benefit. When exercising, focus on strengthening and flexibility, plus drills to improve hip and thoracic mobility and strengthening glutes and abs.
This guide will talk about the right way to do many LBP movements, like Bird Dogs, Prone Back Extensions, and Cat Cow stretches. And how to modify them for individual needs. Learn how modifications can help you build strength and avoid injury or aggravation of existing pain.
Core Exercises
Supercharging your core is an absolute must for any exercise session. Especially if you’re seeking to ease back ache and advance your movement mechanics. Core exercises will not only assist in reinforcing the muscles that support your spine, but also in improving coordination, steadfastness, and balance.
This article will dive deep into some of the best core workouts and how to progress them for a powerful and painless back:
Plank
The plank is a popular core exercise. It helps build strength, balance, and stability. It can be done in a static hold or with dynamic movements. Proper form is important to get maximum benefits. People often arch their backs when doing a plank. To ensure correct form, engage your legs, glutes, and core muscles. Keep your body in a straight line and your neck in a neutral position. Looking at the floor directly below you will help.
To make it more advanced, you can add:
- Arm/leg lifts
- Walkouts
- Mountain climbers
Weighted planks with kettlebells or weights held over head also increase strength. Make sure to keep proper form throughout each movement!
Bird Dog
Bird Dog is a fantastic core exercise for beginners and intermediates. It works both the upper and lower back, plus the abdominals. It’s low-impact, so it’s good for people with back pain.
To do it:
- Start on all fours, wrists below the shoulders, knees below the hips.
- Engage your abs by pulling the navel in.
- Keep the body still, then reach one arm out and one leg back. Don’t twist or overextend. Hold, then switch sides. Alternate arms and legs until desired reps are reached.
Bird Dog is a total-body toner that strengthens multiple muscle groups. It helps posture, balance control and even breathing. With practice, you’ll build strength and endurance – great for avoiding injuries!
Dead Bug
Dead bug exercise is a core-strengthening move. It works multiple muscles at once. It challenges your abs and lower back by blending stability and mobility. It is best suited for those with intermediate to advanced fitness level.
The main muscle targeted is the transverse abdominis. It acts like a natural weight belt around the core. It provides stability in all movements that need trunk control during athletic activity. Dead bug has additional benefits like improved posture, elasticity gains in hip flexors/abductors, and better scapular control.
To perform the dead bug, lie flat on your back. Press arms overhead. Extend legs straight into the air. Keep spine flat against the floor.
Lower one arm towards the floor. Simultaneously lower one knee towards the opposite shoulder. Keep shoulder blades firmly on the ground. Also maintain abdominal tension between each rep. Hold for two seconds when you reach the lowest point. Return to starting position. Repeat with the opposite limbs.
Start with 10-15 reps on each side for 2 or 3 sets. Increase these numbers if comfortable.
Glute Bridge
The glute bridge exercise is a great way to stretch your lower back and build core strength. It can help reduce pain and improve posture.
To do it, start by lying on your back. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor with your arms at your sides. Lift your hips up until your knees, hips, and shoulders form a straight line. Squeeze your glutes at the top and hold it for a few seconds. Then, return to the starting position.
To make it harder, add a weight across your hips or hold just one leg up while raising both hips. You can also try different variations. For stability or strength, you can switch legs during lifts or do inclined glute bridges on an elevated surface like an aerobic step or bench. Advanced practitioners of fitness can even use this to add challenge to their routine.
Upper Back Exercises
Upper back exercises are essential for those aiming to boost strength and flexibility. These exercises focus on the muscles of the upper back that help with keeping the body straight and stable. Plus, they form the basis of other up-body strength moves.
Here, we’ll discuss various techniques to do upper back exercises and progressions. Moreover, we’ll see how to modify them to make them secure and useful for people with backaches or instability.
Bent Over Rows
Bent over rows are an ace exercise for strengthening the upper back and shoulder muscles. It is super important for folks wanting to build a strong and healthy back, specially those with a history of lower back pain.
When done right, bent over rows will work several muscle groups. These include your lats, rear deltoids, middle and lower traps, rhomboids, and erector spinae muscles. Doing all these muscles together helps good posture and balances the upper body muscles.
It’s essential to note that this exercise should be done with great form. This way you’ll target the right muscles and avoid straining your spine or other joints. Here are some progressions and modifications for bent over rows:
- Start with light weight to get used to form.
- Keep shoulders down and away from ears during each rep (no shrugging!).
- Ensure neutral spine throughout the movement; don’t round or arch your back!
- When doing cable rows, be at a 45-degree angle instead of leaning too far on parallel bars.
- Step forward to focus on stabilizing rather than lifting heavy weights.
- If feeling pain anywhere, stop immediately! Focus on high-quality form – accept fewer reps if needed but keep them controlled!
Seated Rows
Seated rows are great for strengthening the back and improving posture. You can do this by pulling a weight towards you, with one or both hands, and then releasing it. Equipment such as resistance bands, dumbbells, and machines can be used.
To do this correctly on a machine, sit on the seat and place your feet firmly on the footplate. Grip the cable handle with both hands, straight out in front at shoulder width. Pull the handlebar towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Hold tension in your upper back muscles before returning to the start. Do 8-12 reps.
For a harder workout, pass the handlebars over each foot. This creates resistance in both directions. Free weights are also more challenging, due to the instability and range of motion of holding individual weights. Inverse rows and seated rows at different angles can also help reinforce form and target different areas of the upper body and back:
- Inverse rows
- Seated rows at different angles
Lat Pulldowns
The lat pulldown is a great exercise to strengthen your upper back and shoulders. It’s easy to do, even for beginners. Here’s how to do it right:
- Adjust a cable machine so that it’s at chest height.
- Put your hands on the bar with an overhand grip that’s wider than your shoulders.
- Lean back slightly and pull down. Keep your elbows close to your ribs.
- Pause at the bottom and then return to standing.
- Keep tension in your muscles by not letting go of the bar.
- Contract your muscles from different angles – not just when you’re pulling down.
Common mistakes include not keeping a neutral spine and raising your elbows too high. To make it more challenging, use a wider or narrower grip size. You can also use dumbbells or kettlebells, but you might need a spotter. Aim for 15-20 reps.
Lower Back Exercises
Your lower back is a must for your posture and core stability. To stay fit and healthy, practice exercises that target your lower back. Here are some great exercises and modifications to ensure strength and no pain:
- They will give you more strength and stability, and help you avoid getting hurt.
Good Mornings
Good mornings are a workout to strengthen your lower back, glutes and hamstrings. You can do this with a barbell, dumbbells, or no weight at all.
Start by standing with feet hip-width apart. Hold the barbell behind your head, on your traps. Inhale and engage your core. Hinge forward until you feel tension in your lower back. Hold two seconds and exhale as you come up.
If you’re trying good mornings for the first time, keep the repetitions low. Practice bodyweight versions first. Movements should be slow and controlled. You can also use half reps or put one foot on a bench to reduce range of motion.
Reverse Hyperextensions
Reverse hyperextensions are a great way to safely and effectively strengthen your lower back. This exercise works your posterior chain muscles – the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back – by extending your body through a range of motion. It can be seen as an isolation exercise, since it targets areas of the body that may not usually get worked with other exercises.
For proper form when performing reverse hyperextensions, keep a neutral spine position throughout the movement. This will help reduce strain on pressure points in the spine, better engage your targeted muscles, and properly isolate them from other parts of the body such as the hips or legs.
Reverse hyperextensions can be modified for different levels of experience or mobility limitations. Beginners or those with long-term back pain can do reverse hyperextensions with less range of motion, using more reps instead. Also, do multiple sets and shorter rest periods between sets until proper form is acquired.
Other modifications include:
- Keeping feet flat on a bench (instead of suspended in air)
- Using a chair instead of an inclined bench
- Elevating upper torso at end range (for extra resistance)
- Increasing range of motion gradually once good technique is achieved.
Supermans
Supermans are a great way to strengthen lower back muscles and focus on stability. Lie on your stomach with arms and legs extended. Engage your abdominal muscles and slowly lift arms and legs up off the ground. Keep them straight and extend away from the body. Focus on engaging lower back muscles. Hold for 3-5 seconds and then return to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions, with a 30 second break between sets. Remember to keep abdominal muscles engaged throughout the exercise.
If you feel any pain or discomfort, stop and get evaluated by a qualified professional.
Modifications and Progressions
Modifications and progressions are essential for any successful back strengthening plan. Adjusting your regime can provide a suitable challenge for your fitness level, as well as help avoid injuries and pain.
We’ll look into how to modify and progress your program to meet your back health objectives:
Increase the load
For exercises using weights or machines, increasing the load is important. Gradually add small amounts of weight each time you perform the movement. If performing body weight movements, add variety in terms of position or reps. You can also add a band for extra resistance.
When increasing the load, maintain form and posture. Start with lighter loads until you feel comfortable enough to progress slowly.
Increase the range of motion
Before progressing, check that the movement pattern is pain-free. Modify if there’s any discomfort. Increasing range of motion (ROM) makes movements easier and more comfortable.
Step 1: Improve flexibility and ROM with dynamic stretching exercises. Examples: shoulder rolls, lateral flexion of spine extensions, hip circles, wall slides, leg swings and squat moves. Resistance bands for strength and balance challenge.
Step 2: Move around in multiple directions against gravity with bodyweight exercises like planks, wall squats or pushups. Vary positions to increase difficulty.
Step 3: Use external forces to challenge balance and stability. Examples: single-leg standing, standing chops, hip twists with a ball or cable adjustments while standing on one foot or kneeling on one knee.
Progress to dynamic movements. Examples: each side squats with rotation on the arms cuffed onto straps or rolling discs underfoot while performing pull-ups with resistance bands/cables. Activate different muscles as they contract eccentrically. This builds strength and stability.
Increase the speed
To up the complexity of an exercise, it is essential to adjust the speed. Depending on your fitness level, you can increase or decrease your speed. To do this right, focus on explosive movements. Start slow from a neutral position and quickly accelerate as you move into the action. Aim for a two-second acceleration phase then hold at the peak contraction for one-second before releasing. This way, the muscles will have time to reach full range of motion while building speed and power.
By sticking to the guidelines, you will progress faster than if you were to just “go slow” or try harder. Both of which can be counter-productive and even damaging if done wrong. You may find increasing your speed helps provide better feedback during exercises. This gives you more time to think between reps while still hitting all the necessary muscle groups in good form.
Increase the number of reps
In order to maximize its impact, increase the reps of your exercise each time. This can help with strength and flexibility. Start with 1-2 times per week. Gradually up the reps until you reach 10-15. Don’t overwork – no pain during or after exercise – if so, take a break or consult a professional. After 15 reps, reduce back to 10 for 1-2 weeks. Then, increase again.
Do all exercises in one session to help progress steadily – not too quickly which could lead to injuries.
Conclusion
Healing your back from an injury or chronic issue requires a complete plan. This plan should focus on moving, becoming stronger, and having stability. To help with no pain movements and build a healthy lower back, use the Master Progressions and Modifications.
It’s crucial to move without pain after an injury or chronic pain. It’s also essential to strengthen your core to restore posture and reduce the risk of more injury or fatigue in the future. Taking the time to do targeted exercises is important for staying healthy.
These simple steps will keep you pain-free and able to do the activities that make life enjoyable. So, go out there and get ready for your next adventure!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are some common modifications to make exercises safer for people with back pain?
Answer: Some common modifications include using lighter weights, reducing range of motion, and avoiding exercises that involve twisting or bending the spine.
2. Can I still exercise if I have a herniated disc?
Answer: Yes, but it is important to work with a qualified trainer or physical therapist who can help you modify exercises to avoid exacerbating your condition.
3. How can I prevent back pain during exercise?
Answer: It is important to warm up properly, maintain good posture, and use appropriate form during exercises. It is also important to listen to your body and stop any exercise that causes pain or discomfort.
4. Is it safe to do weightlifting exercises with a history of back pain?
Answer: Yes, but it is important to work with a qualified trainer to modify exercises to avoid exacerbating your condition. It is also important to start with lighter weights and gradually increase weight as you build strength.
5. What are some exercises that can help strengthen my back?
Answer: Exercises that can help include planks, bridges, bird dogs, and wall sits. It is important to work with a qualified trainer or physical therapist to ensure proper form and modification for your specific needs.
6. Can yoga help with back pain?
Answer: Yes, yoga can be a helpful tool for improving posture, range of motion, and strength in the back. It is important to work with a qualified yoga instructor who can offer modifications for your specific needs.
