Exercises to Strengthen Lower Back and Say Goodbye to Back Pain

Whether you are a student or working professional, a young adult or a senior citizen, doing exercises to strengthen lower back is important for you.

If you are wondering why then you should probably read up on back pain. Back pain happens to almost every human, at some point in their life. It's well and good if you do not have any back pain now. However, this does not guarantee that you will never have back pain. There is a high chance of you suffering from a painful back sooner rather than later if you do not exercise at all.

The fact is that your lower back needs support, and it relies heavily on your glutes, thighs, and to some extent your core muscles for this support. If you neglect these muscles i.e. do not exercise / workout regularly, then there is a high chance of you developing back pain due to the extra strain.

Lower back pain can happen at any age to anybody. The only way to prevent is to do exercises to strengthen lower back (Image via Pexels @Andrea Piacquadio)

However, if you work out regularly and include all types of exercises in your routine, your chances of developing back pain will be considerably lower. If done consistently and well, these exercises can make back pain almost negligible.

Along with the lower body, core, and upper body exercises, it is also important to exercise to strengthen lower back. Keeping your muscles strong and healthy is the only way to be insured against age-related chronic pain issues.

Here, we will discuss some exercises to strengthen lower back that you should regularly include in your exercise/workout routine. You should also do core strengthening exercises for lower back pain irrespective of whether you have lower back pain or not. A strong core is extremely important for the prevention of chronic pain.

Best Exercises to Strengthen Lower Back

The following exercises to strengthen lower back should be accompanied by lower back stretches for a stronger back.

1) Glute Bridges

The largest muscle in the buttocks is called the gluteus maximus. It's a formidable muscle, among the largest in the human body. It facilitates hip motion, including squatting and other exercises that place emphasis on hip extension.

Muscle weakness in the buttocks, or gluteus, can cause or exacerbate back pain. The reason for this is that they play a crucial role in stabilizing the hips and lowering the back during activities like walking.

This exercise, which works out the gluteus maximus, is one of the best exercises to strengthen lower back. It works like magic to reduce back pain, in as little as a week.

Glute bridges are essential for strengthening your lower back (Image via Pexels @Elina Fairytale)

Instructions:

Spread your feet flat on the floor, hip-distance apart, and lie down.
To achieve a straight line from head to toe, start on all fours with your hands at your sides, then press your feet firmly into the floor while slowly lifting your buttocks off the ground. Be sure to keep your shouders down. 10 or 15 seconds is ideal.
Take a seat lower.
Do this 15 times.
Do three sets. Between each set, take a one-minute break.

2) Superman

This is one of the best exercises to strengthen lower back and core as it works directly on your spine.

The muscles that extend your back, called extensors, are located directly behind your spinal column. They assist in standing erect, giving your back and pelvis needed support, and letting you relax into a natural arch. Supermans work out these muscles, strengthening them.

The plank is a good and simple core strengthening exercise you can do (Image via Pexels @Elina Fairytale)

Instructions:

Spread your arms and legs wide and lie on your stomach.
Raise your arms and legs off the ground until you feel a stretch in your lower back or about 6 inches.
Lift your belly button just off the floor to activate your ab muscles. Try moving your hands and feet further away from you. If you don't want to strain your neck, keep your eyes down on the floor as you work out.
Hold for the next two seconds. Repeat 10 times.

3) Bird Dog

The bird dog is one of the best core strengthening exercises for lower back pain. It is one of the exercises to strengthen lower back as it works out the back extensor muscles as well as your core.

Perform the bird dog exercise to strengthen your back and core muscles (Image via Pexels @Gustavo Fring)

Instructions:

On your hands and knees, with your shoulders over your hands and your hips over your knees, you can begin this exercise.
Keep your abs tight and your right arm extended in front of you.
Keep your balance and hold the position for as long as you can.
Calmly raise your left leg behind you and out to the side.
Don't move for 15 seconds.
Gradually retrace your steps to the beginning, and then repeat on the other side.
Repeat the exercise 5 times.

Exercises to strengthen lower back start working pretty quickly when you do them regularly. The aforementioned exercises are meant to strengthen lower back muscles. You should also remember to do lower back stretches to keep your muscles loose and tension free.