5 Stretches to help with lower back pain

My Top 5 Stretches to Help with your Lower Back Pain.

If you struggle with lower back pain and want some tips on quick and easy pain relief or simply want to reduce the possibility of experiencing this common issue then you need to read this…

Lower Back Pain is becoming such a common problem amongst so many of us having a huge impact on how effectively we are able to walk, run, sit, exercise and even sleep.

But why is it so common? How can we prevent it? How can we make it go away?

Let me start by saying studies show there is an 80% chance that you will experience lower back pain at some point in your life. Scary eh! So follow some of my advice and don’t let it ever bother you.

This doesn’t mean that it is instantly going to disappear but it definitely means you will be on the right path to improving how you feel if you are consistent in what I’m telling you.

So where to start…?

Lets look at and identify the common causes first. A great chance to see if you are at risk.

Modern Day Lifestyles

It’s no secret that a lot of us live a deskbound lifestyle at work and spend so much time sitting down but on average we all spend between 8 – 15 hours of our day sat down!

Why is spending a lot of time sat down associated with lower back pain?

When we spend prolonged time sitting down a lot of our major muscle groups such as our hamstrings, Glutes (Bum) are affected becoming less flexible also making our hip muscles shorter. The result of this is our lower back having to do the dirty work to keep us upright. This added workload on the lower back almost guarantees us lower back pain at some point in the future!

Although this is the main cause just the way of modern living plays such a big factor and even the simplest of things can contribute to a sore back. The list could go on but just to pin point a few;-

-       Bending

-       Twisting

-       Sleeping Positions

-       Standing for Long Durations

-       Heavy Weight Lifting

-       High Intensity Interval Training

Are you guilty of any of the above? More than likely as the list seems almost unavoidable. Especially as fitness and exercise is being pushed to the forefront in society.

Do You experience lower back pain when performing abdominal exercises?

A common issue related to fitness is the inability to perform core/abdominal exercises effectively without complaining of a sore back. 

The core and back muscles are required to work in tandem but if we haven’t developed enough strength in our lower back then the workload is predominantly done through our core making the muscles become tighter and tighter pulling more on the lower back leading to the end result of lower back pain.

How should we correct this muscular imbalance?

Simple… Train and exercise your lower back as well as your core. Strengthening both of these areas will give your spine the muscular support it needs to function properly.

Keep lower back pain at bay with these stretches..

This then leads me on to the main focus point of this topic how can we reduce lower back pain through stretching? Here are my top 5 stretches for lower back pain, include these into your daily routines and ease that pain and keep it away for good.

1.    The Two Knee Twist

 

-Lying on your back with your arms spread out either side of you so that your body is in a T-shape, place your knees together then draw them up to your chest.

-Now, with your shoulders pressing down firmly to the ground, slowly lower your knees to your left.

-Hold for two minutes and bring your knees back to center, and repeat on the other side.

-If you find your knees are making your shoulders rise from the ground, lower your knees further down.

2.    The Cobra

 

- Lying on your stomach, with your forearms propping you up and elbows under your shoulders, press your weight down through your palms and the tops of your feet.

- Squeeze your pelvis bone into the ground. Breathe deeply and hold for two to three minutes.

3.    The Seated Twist

 

- Holding the left hand armrest of your seat, and keeping your back straight, turn the right side of your body towards the armrest, and hold for one minute.

4.    Legs up The Wall

 

- With your backside right up against a wall, raise your legs up and straight against it.

- You’ll feel all the muscles of your lower back and upper thighs relax. Hold for 10 minutes.

5.    Thread the Needle

With your knees together facing the ceiling, cross your left leg over your right so that your left ankle is touching your right knee.

Now, interlocking your hands underneath your right knee, with your hands slowly draw your right knee towards your chest.

Feel the stretch in your left glute then hold for three minutes, before swapping sides.

Now put it into Action!

Now you know put these to practice. Don’t be the guy or girl that thinks they’re invincible. A wrong move could just be around the corner and there goes your exercise routine out the window.

Any questions or suggestions are welcome as always.

E