What is a Good Workout For the Lower Back?

Trainer Tuesdays

Welcome back to the weekly edition on Trainer Tuesdays. Make sure to check in at our blog every Tuesday evening to learn the expertise of our great staff of expert personal trainers. Aside from being fantastic exercise coaches, they are also extremely knowledgeable in many aspects of health and fitness; so, it's time that you get to know them a little better! Each week, we will post a frequently asked, or sometimes just a fun fitness related question followed by the answers of each of the personal trainers at Fitness Together Brecksville.

What is a Good Workout For the Lower Back? 

Amanda Ricci: According to UNC School of medicine “Low back pain is the second most common cause of disability in the United States and a common reason for missing work.”  Back pain is common problem in the United States, and it can be caused by sitting too much as well as muscle imbalances and tightness. Carey and Freburger noted that “80 percent of Americans will experience low back pain at some time in their lives and the total costs of the condition are estimated at greater than $100 Billion annually, with two-thirds of that due to decreased wages and productivity.” (Freburger. Chronic low back pain on the rise: UNC study finds ‘alarming increase’ in prevalence, 9 Feb. 2009. Web.29 March 2016 www.med.unc.edu)  With that kind of expense to remedy lower back pain, it is important to not just find a quick fix, when trying to alleviate it.  Instead, we want that pain to dissipate permanently. Like any solution that works it may take time to strengthen that lower back. 

     

 When experiencing lower back pain it is important to incorporate exercises in your workout that do not place any pressure or stress on the lower back.  Some great exercises for the lower back include: Deadlifts, Good mornings, hyperextensions, partial crunches, single leg raises while lying on your back.  Exercises that you may want to avoid are: toe touches, leg raises, and full crunches.  If you are experiencing any back pain it is important to inform your personal trainer of this problem.  If there is any exercise that does aggravate your lower back tell your trainer so that they can first check your form to ensure that you are performing the exercise correctly.  They can also note any types of muscle imbalances that you might have and assist you in correcting them.  Therefore, since each individual may have muscle imbalances in different muscles your trainer is the best person to create a workout for you that will correct this. They also may be able to provide you with other tips to incorporate in your lifestyle on a daily basis that will help to take some pressure off your lower back.  When performing the exercises it can sometimes be difficult to translate the difference between discomfort or good pain, and even the bad pain.  While doing the exercises you should be prepared for your body to go through some changes and feel muscles working that you may have not used in a while.  This can sometimes feel awkward but this is why it is important to trust your trainer as well as perform the exercises with good form so that you can prevent injury. 

Fitness Together Personal Trainer Sean Sullivan demonstrating a Superman

Justin Traft: So everyone always asks what's a good lower back exercise. I have many favorites. First one that comes to mind is called Goodmornings--- great to help build up your lower back muscle strength. Another favorite of mine is stability ball back extensions or bench back extension. You can use a barbell plate or a dumbbell... even a medball. Another favorite: pulsing superman (or superwoman to be politically correct). Pulse for 15 reps then hold the contraction for another 15 seconds. Another favorite that hits a multi group of muscles is single leg deadlift with a dumbbell or kettle bell. Lastly one of my favorites in my current program is sumo deadlift wide stance. Make sure you take your time and go down all the way, then pull up slowly squeezing those muscles...even though your quads are the main group it still works the lower back too. So there are just a couple of my favorites forworking your ever-important lower back!

Adam Teplitz: One of the easiest parts of the body to injure is the lower back. To significantly lessen the chance of injuring your lower back , while increasing it's strength, consider incorporating these exercises into your strength training routine.

1) Hyper-Extensions
Lie face down with your stomach supported on a bench or stability ball. Anchor your feet. With your body straight , cross your arms in front of you or place them behind your head. Start to bend forward slowly at the waist , as far as you can go while keeping your back flat. Slowly raise back up to the initial position without rounding your back.

2) Bridge

personal trainer Sean Sullivan doing a Bridge

Start on your back with your knees bent and your feet about hip width apart. Drive your heels into the mat while you elevate your hips towards the ceiling. Complete reps or hold the position at the top.

3) Plank
This is perfect for people that suffer from lower back pain. The risk of injury is minimized due to your body being in a stable position. Start by placing your elbows directly under your shoulders. Elevate your hips , supporting your body only with your forearms and toes. Maintain a neutral spine throughout.

By consistently  incorporating these exercises into your routine, you will maintain a strong , lower back , which in turn, helps to maintain a strong overall core.

Brooke Kratche:  Working out your lower back is extremely important! It can help you avoid back pain but if you do them incorrectly, it can also lead to back pain. For that reason I will tell you the deadlifts and similar lifts will strengthen this area but I will not recommend doing them unless your trainer can show you correct form and assure you that you are doing them well.  Two exercise you can absolutely do on your own though are stability ball back raises and supermans. The first of the two involves resting your stomach on the stability ball and your feet on the ground. You'll want a wide base for balance purposes. Simply lift your torso up and down, bending at the hips. The second involves lying face down on the ground. Lift you thighs and feet off the ground as well as your shoulders, chest, and arms. Simply hold this pose for 30 seconds or pulse up and down! Mix it up and have fun!

Steven Madden: If you want to focus on your lower back, the whole deadlift family will help. Warming up with some Kettle Bell swings will get everything; including the lower back ready to move. Traditional deadlifts and Romanian Deadlifts will directly target the lower back, while Stiff-led Deadlift will recruit the lower back for support and stabilization. The Rack Pull is the Deadlift without the leg portion of the move, so you'll start right away with the back. Some Goodmornings will help you finish off your lower back.

  

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