Most of the muscles in the body can be broken down into two categories. The first includes the muscles we actively think about toning and strengthening, like the biceps, abs, and glutes. Then there are the muscles that we might only think about when we’re dealing with an issue or an injury, like the lower back. Indeed, not many people are constantly incorporating lower back exercises into their workouts—yet doing so on a regular basis offers countless benefits, from better posture to freedom from pain.
Here, we’re helping you get to know the muscles of the lower back and why this is such a troublesome area for many people, plus six of the best exercises to help you strengthen the lower back and eliminate pain.
Get to know the lower back
The primary role of the lower back muscles is to support and stabilize the lower portion of the spine. The erector spinae muscles, which start higher up and run down the length of the spine, are some of the outermost muscles of the lower back. They enable you to extend and lift things and are made up of three muscles that work together: the iliocostalis, longissimus, and spinalis. You’ll also find your external obliques, which wrap around your abdomen at the base of the spine to assist with twisting.
Why so many people have lower back pain
According to the World Health Organization, lower back pain is the single leading cause of disability in the world, affecting a whopping 619 million people. For about 90% of those people, the cause of their pain is non-specific, which means they can’t point to a single injury or event that left them with soreness and discomfort. Instead, it’s typically a combination of factors, such as poor posture, low physical activity (or too much activity that puts a strain on the lower back), lots of time spent sitting, or being overweight or obese.
Why exercise can help
While the above may sound grim, the WHO also says that lower back pain is the condition for which the greatest number of people can benefit from rehabilitation. In other words, targeted training (coupled with lifestyle changes, if needed) can improve lower back pain more than any other ailment. Indeed, a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that exercise alone reduces the risk of lower back pain by 33%, plus significantly reduces pain severity and the level of disability that people experience as a result. Why? Since lower back pain is typically the result of a combination of health and lifestyle factors, making tweaks that counteract them—such as strengthening the muscles of the lower back—can make a noticeable difference.
6 best lower back exercises
The six moves below are our favorite exercises for strengthening the muscles of the lower back to help them better support your spine, improve your posture, and ease pain. Try incorporating them into your strength training workouts along with stretching.
Superman
-
Weights to use: bodyweight, light weights in your hands, light ankle weights or a resistance band around your ankles
-
How to do it: Lie on your stomach on a mat with your legs straight and arms stretched up overhead. Pull your belly button into your back, press your hip bones into the mat and lift your hands and feet off the ground. Hold for a few seconds, then lower back down.
Bird-Dog
-
Weights to use: bodyweight or one light weight
-
How to do it: Come onto all fours. Extend one arm and the opposite leg until they form a straight line parallel to the floor. Pull them in to tap your elbow to your knee under your belly, then extend back out. Repeat on the other side.
Good morning
-
Weights to use: bodyweight, light or medium weights
-
How to do it: Stand with your legs wide and bring your hands to your ears with your elbows out. Keeping a slight bend in your knees and your back straight, hinge at the hips until your upper body is parallel to the floor, then lift back up.
Deadlift
-
Weights to use: heavy bar or weights
-
How to do it: Place a bar or weights on the floor and stand just behind it with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat to grip the bar, then with your chest lifted and back straight, press through your heels to lift the bar and come to standing. Lower back down.
Side plank
-
Weights to use: bodyweight, light or medium weight
-
How to do it: Come onto your side on a mat, placing your bottom elbow directly under your shoulder. Keeping your body in a straight line, extend your bottom leg out straight then your top leg, placing it either in front of your other foot or on top of it. Lift your hips toward the ceiling. If you’re using a weight, rest it on your top hip. Hold. Repeat on the other side.
Forearm plank
-
Weights to use: bodyweight
-
How to do it: Come onto all fours. Place your forearms on the floor with your elbows directly under your shoulders, then extend your legs back to come onto your toes. Pull your abs in so that your body forms a straight line and hold.
Get stronger today
While regularly completing exercises like these that target and strengthen the muscles of the lower back, another important component of eliminating pain is keeping your entire body in tip-top shape. With its five unique accessories, easy-to-adjust digital weight, and hundreds of included workouts, the amp fitness device can help you achieve a new level of overall fitness that will make back pain a thing of the past. Get yours today!
