Have you ever suffered from lower back pain?

In my opinion – One of the best things that you can do to address lower back pain is to strengthen the lower back muscles!

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Exercises To Strengthen The Lower Back

The following exercises are designed to progressively load the structures in the lower back to build strength and resilience.

This will allow the lower back to gradually tolerate more load/stress over time.

Exercise List

In this section – I have listed the lower back exercises in order of increasing difficulty.

(This will help minimize the chance of re-injuring your lower back.)

• 1. Core Activation
• 2. Warm Up Exercises
• 3. Pelvic Tilts
• 4. Cat/Cow
• 5. Seated Hinge
• 6. Standing Hinge
• 7. Single Leg Hinge
• 8. Superman Variations
• 9. Lumbar Extension
• 10. Seated Jefferson Curl
• 11. Standing Jefferson Curl

NOTE: There should be NO PAIN experienced when performing any of the exercises mentioned on this blog post.

(If you have significant pain in the lower back, please be very careful when performing the following exercises as they have the potential to make your symptoms worse. If in doubt, consult a healthcare professional before attempting any exercise.)

1. Core Activation

Before you start the exercises to strengthen the lower back muscles, I strongly suggest that you learn how to activate the core.

“The core” is a group of deep muscles which have the important role of stabilizing the mid section of the body.

How To Activate The Core Muscles

Instructions:

• Lie down on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Tilt your pelvis backwards to help flatten your lower back onto the floor.
• Take a deep breath in through your nose.
• Slowly exhale ALL of the air out of your lungs through your mouth.
• When you think that you have reached the point where you have completely emptied out your lungs, make an effort to exhale just a little bit more air out.
• Draw your stomach inwards.
• Gently tense your abdominal muscles.
• Aim to breathe normally as you maintain this contraction.

The most important thing is to FEEL this core contraction as you will need to replicate it as you perform the strengthening exercises for the lower back.

If you would like to see exercises to strengthen the core muscles:

See Post: Core Exercises

2. Warm Up

It is a good idea to warm up the structures in the lower back region prior to performing the strengthening exercises.

Knees Side-To-Side

Instructions:

• Lie down on your back.
• Keep your knees bent and feet on the floor.
• Gently rock your knees from side to side.
• Allow the knees to drop all the way towards the side.
• Aim to feel a gentle pull in the lower back.
• Do not move into any pain.
• Perform 20 repetitions.

Knees To Chest

Instructions:

• Lie down on your back.
• Start with your knees bent and feet on the floor.
• Hold onto both of your knees and pull them towards your chest.
• Keep both legs completely relaxed throughout this exercise.
• Aim to feel a gentle stretch in the lower back.
• Do not move into any pain.
• Gently rock your knees towards your chest for 20 repetitions.

Prone Extension

Instructions:

• Lie down on your stomach.
• Place your forearms (or hands) onto the floor.
• Whilst relying on the strength of your arms only, gently arch your lower back backwards.
• Make sure that you only arch the lower back as far you can comfortably tolerate.
• Aim to feel gentle tension across your lower back.
• Hold this position for 2 seconds.
• Perform 20 repetitions.

Standing Side Bends

Instructions:

• Stand up right.
• Tilt your spine from side to side.
• Do not move into any pain.
• Perform 20 repetitions.

3. Pelvic tilts

This gentle exercise serves as a great starting point when strengthening the lower back.

Instructions:

• Lie down on your back.
• Keep your knees bent and feet on the floor.
• Engage the core muscles.
• Gently tilt your pelvis forwards without causing any pain.
  • The lower back should arch upwards as you do this.
• Aim to feel a gentle contraction in the lower back muscles.
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Relax to the starting position.
• Perform 30 repetitions.

4. Cat/Cow

Instructions:

• Start in the 4 point kneel position.
• Make sure that your hands are underneath the shoulders and the knees underneath the hips.
• Engage the core muscles.
• Tilt your pelvis forwards as you arch your lower back.
• Aim to feel a contraction in the lower back.
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Relax back to the starting position.
• Perform 30 repetitions.

5. Sitting Hip Hinge

The hip hinge is a movement which involves bending forwards at the hip whilst keeping the spine in a neutral position.

Importance of the Hip Hinge:

Sitting Hip Hinge

Instructions:

• Sit up right on the edge of a high chair.
• Maintain a neutral lower back position throughout this exercise.
• Spread your knees apart.
• Engage the core muscles.
• Lean your torso forwards as far as possible without losing neutral spine.
• Aim to feel a gentle contraction in the muscles of the lower back and back of hips.
• Hold the end range position for 3-5 seconds.
• Perform 30 repetitions.
• Progression:
  • Hold onto an appropriate amount of weight in your hands
  • Sit on a higher chair to increase the amount of hinging available at the hips

6. Standing Hinge

Instructions:

• Hold onto a stick behind you.
  • Make sure that the stick stays in contact with the base of your spine (Sacrum) and the middle of the upper back.
• Bend your knees slightly.
• Engage the core muscles.
• Maintain neutral spine and pelvis throughout the exercise.
• Push your hips backwards as you hinge forwards at the hips.
• Lower yourself as far as you can go until you feel a firm stretch sensation at the back of your thighs.
• Aim to feel a contraction in the muscles of the lower back and back of hips.
• Perform 30 repetitions.
• Progression:
  • Hold onto an appropriate amount of weight with your hands in front of you

Having difficulty with keeping your lower back straight? Check out this blog post for more hinging exercises:

See Post: Hinge Exercises

7. Single Leg Hinge

Instructions:

• Stand on one leg.
• Engage the core muscles.
• Keep your pelvis leveled throughout this exercise.
• Hinge forwards.
• Aim to feel a contraction in the muscles of the lower back and back of hips.
• Repeat 10 times.
• Repeat on the other side.
• Progression:
  • Hold onto an appropriate amount of weight with your hands in front of you

8. Superman Variations

Instructions:

• Lie down on your stomach.
• Stretch both arms out in front of you.
• Engage the core muscles.
• Lift up the opposite arm/leg as high as possible without causing any pain.
• Aim to feel a contraction in the muscles of the lower back.
• Hold for 5-10 seconds.
• Perform 10-20 repetitions.
• Progression:
  • Lift both arms and legs at the same time
  • Hold the end range position for a longer duration
  • Lift the arms/legs to a higher position

9. Lumbar Extension

(You will need an exercise ball to perform this movement.)

Instructions:

• Place a large exercise ball near a wall.
• Lie facing downwards on top of the exercise ball.
  • The front part of your hips should be in contact with the ball.
• Anchor your feet against the base of the wall to stabilize your body.
• Engage the core muscles.
• Place your hands by your sides.
• Lift your torso upwards.
• Aim to feel a contraction in the lower back muscles.
• Hold this end range position for 2-5 seconds.
• Perform 10-20 repetitions.
• Progression:
  • Place your hands behind your head
  • Hold onto a weight in front of your chest
  • Move slower
  • Perform on a Roman Chair exercise equipment

10. Seated Jefferson Curl

Instructions:

• Sit up right on the edge of a high chair.
• Spread your knees apart.
• Engage the core muscles.
• Tilt your pelvis backwards.
• Slowly fold your torso forwards as far as possible without causing any pain.
• Hold the end range position for 3-5 seconds.
• Return to the up right sitting position.
• Perform 30 repetitions.
• Progression:
  • Hold onto an appropriate amount of weight in your hands
  • Sit on a higher chair to increase the amount of forward bending occurring in the lower back

11. Standing Jefferson Curl

This exercise involves strengthening the lower back in the bent over position.

This places the lower back in a position of flexion which is where many people experience weakness and/or pain.

In my opinion – It is important to eventually strengthen in the position where the lower back is more vulnerable in. This is to build resilience in the lower back structures.

ATTENTION: Please be careful when performing this exercise. I suspect many of you will not be able to tolerate this position straight away. If you are not ready for this exercise, please focus on the other exercises for now.

Instructions:

• Stand up right.
• Engage the core muscles.
• Slowly fold your torso forwards as far as possible without causing any pain.
• Aim to round your back as much as you are comfortable with.
• Hold the end range position for 3-5 seconds.
• Return to standing position.
• Perform 10 repetitions.
• Progression:
  • Hold onto an appropriate amount of weight in your hands. (If you are not sure what weight to use, go extra light and slowly increase if comfortably tolerated.)

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Conclusion

Strengthening the lower back is important for Lumbar spine health (… especially if you have experienced lower back pain!).

Performing the exercises mentioned on this blog post will help to gradually build resilience and allow the structures of the lower back to tolerate more load.

Keep in mind – It is highly recommended that you progress through the exercises at a gradual pace to avoid aggravation to the lower back.

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Disclaimer: The content presented on this blog post is not medical advice and should not be treated as such. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Use of the content provided on this blog post is at your sole risk. Seek guidance from a healthcare professional before starting any exercise and/or implementing any recommendation. For more information: Medical Disclaimer.