7 Moves to Beat Back Pain
Back pain sucks, but that’s not news. About 80% of all people will experience it at some point in their lives, and most of the time it will be lower back pain.
Why is it so common? Lots of reasons: poor posture, sitting, sitting, and sitting. That’s not a typo.
Sitting places the structures in your body into weird positions and lets certain muscles get used to staying in shortened and tight positions. for low back pain, the main muscles affected are usually the hip flexors and hamstrings, which affect the position of the pelvis, which the affects the position of the backbone (yes, I’m using a colloquial term for spinal column, because science terms tend to make normal people’s eyes glaze over like a Krispy Kreme donut). Your glutes and hip rotators (especially piriformis) can get super tight, too!
Another thing is that your glutes (gluteal muscles) and abs (abdominals) tend to become very weak due to all the sitting we do in our daily lives. BTW, if you think you don’t sit very much, you are probably wrong. We all sit too much.
So what to do about it? We’re going to lengthen and strengthen those muscles!
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The videos below are a great place to start if you only experience occasional back pain, but I actually made a course that goes more in-depth to help you learn how to troubleshoot and treat your own back pain. There are lots of tools and tips included, and I kept the price low so just about anyone can access it for a fraction of the cost of going to the chiropractor! Check it out here.
Toe Touch Squat
This is a great one if you’re just having mild back pain and want something dynamic to add to your stretch routine or gym warm-up.
This is a great dynamic warmup for your hamstrings (and not a bad one for the knees, come to think of it).
1) Stand with feet a little wider than hip width and angle the toes slightly outward.
2) Bend down and grab your toes, then puff your chest out. Your elbows should be inside your knees.
3) Send your hips up and back until you feel a stretch in the back of your legs.
Do 1 set of 5-10 reps.
2. Piriformis Stretch
This is a great way to loosen up the hips by easing the tension on the piriformis. This video shows several ways to stretch, so be sure to check them all out!
The piriformis is a deep external rotator muscle in your hip and glute area. Super awful when it gets tight.
Choose your best version of this piriformis stretch.
In all of these versions, the following principles are used:
1) Ankle over opposite knee
2) Try to open the hip as much as possible by keeping the shin as close to parallel as possible.
3) You should feel this deep in the glute.
Hold for 45 seconds or longer.
3. Hip Flexor Stretch
This is a super accessible version of the hip flexor stretch. Giv eit a try and see what you think!
You hip flexors are the muscles that you use to raise your knee in front of you. They run from the top part of the front of your thigh and attach to your spine. When they get tight, they can put too much curve in your lower back. Ouch!
1) Stand in front of a chair (with the seat facing you) and step your foot onto the seat. Try to tuck your tailbone under while pulling your back leg forward and trying to pull the front foot back. Keep the abs solid, and make sure your lower back doesn’t arch - Try to channel your inner Steve Urkel. Basically, try to do whatever the opposite of sticking your butt out is.
2) Bend your front knee to go deeper into the stretch. Hold here, or if you want to feel more, raise the arm up on the side you are stretching (that would be the arm that is on the same side as the back leg, if you’re wondering).
Hold for 45 seconds.
4. Three-Way Hamstring Stretch
What an awesome stretch this is! You should immediately feel things start to loosen up once you try this three-part saga of a stretch.
This stretch is 3 stretches in 1 and feels so good for a sore lower back or tight posterior chain! It targets not just your hamstrings but also your biceps femoris and adductors.
1) Lie on your back and use the strap to capture your foot. Keep your arm as straight as possible to let the shoulder do most of the work.
2) Stretch #1: Hold the strap in both hands and pull your foot toward you until you feel a stretch. Hold for at least 30 seconds, then return to the starting position.
3) Stretch #2: Grip the strap with the opposite hand from the leg you are stretching. Keeping the kips on the ground, see how far across your body you can get your leg without the hips coming up. Hold for at least 30 seconds. Return to the center.
4) Stretch #3: Transfer the strap to your other hand (the same side as you are about to stretch). Let the leg fall out to the side, allowing for a stretch up the inside of your leg. Hold for at least 30 seconds. Return to the starting position.
Hold each stretch or 45 seconds.
5. Dead Bugs
Your lower abdominals are responsible for much more than just holding your guts in. The sad thing is, they don’t get near enough attention! Give ‘em some love by finding YOUR version of this fantastic exercise.
Your lower abs help hold your pelvis in its proper position, so having strong lower abdominals is crucial.
Watch the tutorial and choose the version best suited to your needs. Remember, the lower back must always be flat or neutral and you should never feel this exercise in the low back. Please let me know immediately if this is the case. In the meantime, if that happens, substitute another ab exercise that you don't feel in the back.
1) Lie flat on your back with your knees and arms up.
2) Be sure your lower back is flat or in neutral position (no arching).
3) Extend opposite arm/leg or combo, making sure the lower back does not come up. If you feel any pain in your lower back during this exercise, stop it immediately.
Do 1-2 sets of 10.
6. Banded Hip Bridge
This is a two-for-one exercise that targets not just the gluteus maximus, but also the gluteus medius, which is activated by bringing the legs away from each other. Did you know that a weak glute medius can be a cause of back pain?
Your gluteal muscles help keep your pelvis stable, but too much sitting can make them switch off. Activate your glutes with this easy and effective exercise.
1) Put the band just above or below your knees. Lie on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor. Be sure your feet are not too close to your body (you should not be able to touch your feet with your hands).
2) Press your knees outward and raise your hips off the ground. Focus on tucking your tailbone and letting your back come up one backbone at a time.
3) Lower down, letting your tailbone come down last.
Repeat for reps or time.
Do 1-2 sets of 10 reps (or hold for 60 seconds).
7. Side Planks
This powerhouse exercise is crucial for activating your abdominal obliques and gluteus medius. Plus, just doing one is a great workout in itself! Note: the only drawback to this exercise is it can place your shoulder in a weak position, so if you have severe shoulder problems, take a bit of care with this or consider an alternative (I’d substitute with butt walks and side-lying hip abductions).
This exercise targets your oblique abdominal muscles (which are the abs on the side of your body, an area that some people refer to as the “love handles”), as well as your gluteus medius, a glute muscle that helps bring your leg out to the side. Glute Medius helps stabilize the pelvis.
1) Get down on your side with your elbow directly under your shoulder.
2) Squeeze your abs and glutes and lift your hips off the ground. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to your feet (if viewed from above). You can keep your top hand on your hip or reach it up. Look straight ahead or look up to challenge your balance.
3) Hold for time.
Do 1-2 sets of 3 10-second holds.
A Few Things to Remember…
Hopefully these stretches and exercises will help you start to find some relief. Just remember that not every stretch or mobility exercise will feel good for everyone, and this is where things can get tricky. There’s a right time for every exercise or stretch, so remember this next thing I’m about to tell you. When working through an injury, you must be very careful to listen to your body and not push too far, which could lead to more serious injury. Exercise is medicine, and dosage is crucial.
Looking for a place to start? Check out my new online course: Bulletproof Your Back. It’s a helpful 2-hour crash course on everything lower back related, packed full of great tools and resources.