Exercises to Help Lower Back Pain

AimersBee

Hi!

I tweaked my lower back around 2 months ago, and maybe once a week I get a little bit of back pain. Probably because I work 50 hours a week in a computer chair and, not only that but, this last year and a half I haven't been doing regular workouts, just sports once or twice a week.

Anyways, my question is, what are some great workouts that will help get rid of this lower back pain?

Thank-you in advance!

wamydia

There are probably people on here that can give you some ideas about exercises to build strength in your core that will help you get rid of the back pain in the long term, but for now I'm going to suggest trying to relieve some of it with yoga. I have a lot of problems with my lower back and just basic yoga stretching does wonders for relieving the pain. Just go on to youtube and type in "yoga for lower back pain" and give some of the exercises a try.

AimersBee

Okay thanks!

stephens3019

You need to do core stability exercises and this helps the muscles in you back, therefore reducing the back pain. It is what I do because I am hypermobile, and it works wonders. Using a big workout ball and doing exercises such ad balancing and lifting your leg at the same time can help. Just search up some exercises, add that to the end of your workout and bobs your uncle. Remember to have a nice bath afterwards for extra soothing

granturismo

... because I work 50 hours a week in a computer chair an...

You should take a break from the monitor every 20 minutes or 45 minutes - the time will vary from person to person - and do some different job that changes your posture - walking to the photocopier, filing etc, etc etc

I had a lumbar spinal injury and I have a set of stretches I do for about 20 minutes at least every second day otherwise I get stiff and sore. I got these exercises from physios as I recovered but they are commonly used in pilates classes as warm ups. I'm not sure if I can give these out in a forum. My surgeon recommended hyperextensions but that was specific to my injury.

Vailara

I wouldn't recommend it without medical advice, but heavy lifting did wonders for my back pain! I felt the deadlifts in particular really worked my back. I don't go to the gym at the moment, but I do yoga (DDP) which I believe helps a little too - anyway, I don't tend to get back pain at all now.

AimersBee

Sounds like some beginner yoga for now would work and then maybe ease back into heavy lifting workouts to strengthen everything up again. I don't want to jump right into anything too crazy as I still play sports (slopitch and volleyball) and don't want to be out of the game because of a possible retweak.

Thanks for all the advice everyone, I'll definitely be taking it all into consideration!

MagnumBurrito

Build muscle around your spine. That's really the only thing that will cure back pain long term. Like a poster above suggested, Deadlifts done correctly do wonders for building back muscle.

http://breakingmuscle.com/mobility-recovery/proof-that-functional-strength-training-cures-low-back-problems-and-pilates-wont

ninerbuff

Good mornings and make sure your hamstrings have decent flexibility.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

QueenBishOTUniverse

I'm going to throw my support behind deadlifts. I do both heavy lifting and yoga. I love yoga, but more stretching around a back that is already weak/unstable can actually do more harm than good. See a physical therapist, but what you need right now is serious muscle building and that generally means more focused strength work than yoga provides.

akh1981

I have a compressed disk in my lower back that is at risk of herniating if I don't take care of it, so I've been working with a trainer and my doctor to help through exercise. Back extension exercises have been the most helpful for me - on the sitting back extension machine, I am trying to work up to using 90 lbs of resistance, and i have to go slow and make sure that I am feeling the resistance without straining. Also, lots of planks and core-specific exercises help a lot. I would definitely recommend talking to your doctor - you want to make sure you're not injuring anything further with your exercise. Good luck!!!

tracydr

Swimming and horseback riding are great core exercises. Especially riding English. Drop stirrups for a few minutes and really feel the burn!
Yoga isn't just stretching. Most yoga classes do a lot of core strengthening,too.

DWBalboa

I went to a PT for my back after suffering multiple broken vertebrae, he had me do various things but what seemed to do the most good for me was the medicine ball routine he had me on. It included Wood choppers, Russian twist or V-sits, Oblique Twist (Standing), crunches, Curl-ups, squats, Hip circles (sitting), and ski bends. Until I went to the PT and he had me doing this and other things I was going backwards, gaining more and more weight and losing mobility, he may not have saved my life but he saved my quality of life. Which to me are really closely tied into one another.
I hope this helps.
V/r,
DW

Here is a link to a MB poster that has some of the exercises that he had me do.

http://www.bodysportproducts.com/SellSheets/BodySport_MedicineBall_Poster.pdf

QueenBishOTUniverse

Swimming and horseback riding are great core exercises. Especially riding English. Drop stirrups for a few minutes and really feel the burn!
Yoga isn't just stretching. Most yoga classes do a lot of core strengthening,too.

No it's not, but I've done yoga for years and it didn't do much at all for my back pain. Some of the stretches that used a rounded back actually made it worse. My lower back pain is gone since I started heavy lifting. Now the muscle pain in my glutes from heavy lifting, that's a whole other issue :laugh: .

aneary1980

DO NOT DO YOGA.

I have slipped discs etc yoga can damage your back if it's already bad.

Beginners pilates is the best exercise for lower back pain, make sure you go to a beginners class as if you get it wrong you can make it worse.

I would also suggest a physio or chiropractor before starting pilates to ensure that you don't make it any worse by exercising. They will both give you pilates type exercises which suit your back pain.

TeaBea

I've not tried this but it gets good reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/Kelly-Coffey-Meyers-30-Minutes-Fitness-Healthy/dp/B00CUEZF0E/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1399994011&sr=1-2&keywords=kelly+coffey+meyer+back

The instructor is great

KombuchaCat

Try a gentle yoga class. You can ask the instructor for a list of specific postures to help stretch and strengthen your back at home as well.

KombuchaCat

DO NOT DO YOGA.

I have slipped discs etc yoga can damage your back if it's already bad.

Beginners pilates is the best exercise for lower back pain, make sure you go to a beginners class as if you get it wrong you can make it worse.

I would also suggest a physio or chiropractor before starting pilates to ensure that you don't make it any worse by exercising. They will both give you pilates type exercises which suit your back pain.

I would disagree with discounting yoga altogether. Yoga is not without it's risk but if you are inexperienced I would go to a class and make sure you tell the instructor before class begins about your back. They will tell you what you should watch out for, do more of and avoid.
Also I might suggest acupuncture. I do it for migraines and neck pain. Those I know who tried it for sports injuries have had varied success. If you have a community acupuncture clinic nearby they are quite reasonably priced.

aneary1980

Yoga is not the ideal thing to do. It involves stretching an unstable back which can cause further injury!

aneary1980

DO NOT DO YOGA.

I have slipped discs etc yoga can damage your back if it's already bad.

Beginners pilates is the best exercise for lower back pain, make sure you go to a beginners class as if you get it wrong you can make it worse.

I would also suggest a physio or chiropractor before starting pilates to ensure that you don't make it any worse by exercising. They will both give you pilates type exercises which suit your back pain.

I would disagree with discounting yoga altogether. Yoga is not without it's risk but if you are inexperienced I would go to a class and make sure you tell the instructor before class begins about your back. They will tell you what you should watch out for, do more of and avoid.

After slipping my disc for the 4th time (aligment issue) my chiropractor said under no circumstances should I go to a yoga class, pilates as long as it was a beginners class yes but yoga no.

KombuchaCat

Yoga is not the ideal thing to do. It involves stretching an unstable back which can cause further injury!

Depends what kind of back injury you have. If it's serious then perhaps yoga might not be right. However the OP says she "tweaked" her back so I'm assuming it's a soft tissue injury with some tightness. Another poster mentioned the core strengthening in yoga as well which will help stabilize the lower back and prevent future injury.

hbwright74

Definitely talk to your doctor first, and work with a trainer to get your form correct, but deadlifts have made my back pain virtually nonexistent and I have scoliosis, osteopenia, and work in a chair 9-10 hours a day. I keep my weights a comfortable weight and don't push it, keeping my form top priority. I get minimal DOMS in my lower back the day after deadlifting if I go especially heavy or push out a couple extra reps, but it is nothing compared to the back pain that used to plague me. If I had to chose between one lift, and one lift only, this would definitely be it. Also, I am not supposed to do back rounding exercises, or twisting exercises, but I can feel my core strengthening and muscles working hard when I lift, so I don't feel so bad about not being able to do most core exercises. I deadlift, squat, and do Pallof presses. I couldn't be happier with my core progress.

aneary1980

Tweaking means the back is damaged, which can easily lead to more damage very quickly and suprisingly if the wrong exercises are done.

Pilates is a much better option as you engage your core more therefore protecting your back.

However a professional should assess the back first hense going to a physio or chiropractor first.

husseycd

Tight hip flexors cause a lot of low back pain but are rarely mentioned. Prolonged sitting tightens up the hip flexors, which end up pulling on the lower back.

PinkyPan1

Thank you for sharing this. I am going to try these. I have had 2 failed spinal fusion surgeries and I think these may help. Thank you!!!
I went to a PT for my back after suffering multiple broken vertebrae, he had me do various things but what seemed to do the most good for me was the medicine ball routine he had me on. It included Wood choppers, Russian twist or V-sits, Oblique Twist (Standing), crunches, Curl-ups, squats, Hip circles (sitting), and ski bends. Until I went to the PT and he had me doing this and other things I was going backwards, gaining more and more weight and losing mobility, he may not have saved my life but he saved my quality of life. Which to me are really closely tied into one another.
I hope this helps.
V/r,
DW

Here is a link to a MB poster that has some of the exercises that he had me do.

http://www.bodysportproducts.com/SellSheets/BodySport_MedicineBall_Poster.pdf

KombuchaCat

Tweaking means the back is damaged, which can easily lead to more damage very quickly and suprisingly if the wrong exercises are done.

Pilates is a much better option as you engage your core more therefore protecting your back.

However a professional should assess the back first hense going to a physio or chiropractor first.

One can have a soft tissue injury without involving the discs. If you just strained your back yoga will be beneficial. I understand that with slipped discs you must be more careful but to tell everyone who feels back pain at all to avoid yoga is going too far in my opinion.

QueenBishOTUniverse

Tweaking means the back is damaged, which can easily lead to more damage very quickly and suprisingly if the wrong exercises are done.

Pilates is a much better option as you engage your core more therefore protecting your back.

However a professional should assess the back first hense going to a physio or chiropractor first.

One can have a soft tissue injury without involving the discs. If you just strained your back yoga will be beneficial. I understand that with slipped discs you must be more careful but to tell everyone who feels back pain at all to avoid yoga is going too far in my opinion.

That may be true, but there are other things that can be done that are BETTER for strengthening the back and LESS likely to cause harm. As I've said, I do yoga, I love yoga, but it is not what I would recommend for dealing with back pain.

aneary1980

Tweaking means the back is damaged, which can easily lead to more damage very quickly and suprisingly if the wrong exercises are done.

Pilates is a much better option as you engage your core more therefore protecting your back.

However a professional should assess the back first hense going to a physio or chiropractor first.

One can have a soft tissue injury without involving the discs. If you just strained your back yoga will be beneficial. I understand that with slipped discs you must be more careful but to tell everyone who feels back pain at all to avoid yoga is going too far in my opinion.

That may be true, but there are other things that can be done that are BETTER for strengthening the back and LESS likely to cause harm. As I've said, I do yoga, I love yoga, but it is not what I would recommend for dealing with back pain.

Thank you

Schtroumpfkin

Build muscle around your spine. That's really the only thing that will cure back pain long term. Like a poster above suggested, Deadlifts done correctly do wonders for building back muscle.

http://breakingmuscle.com/mobility-recovery/proof-that-functional-strength-training-cures-low-back-problems-and-pilates-wont

Love this example. I don't know whether it will work or not, but seems to make sense to SUPPORT the weak back by surrounding it with strong, supportive muscle rather than wobbly fat. I'm inspired.

akh1981

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Love this example. I don't know whether it will work or not, but seems to make sense to SUPPORT the weak back by surrounding it with strong, supportive muscle rather than wobbly fat. I'm inspired.
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Exactly!!! This is exactly what my doctor and my trainer told me!

hermann341

There are probably people on here that can give you some ideas about exercises to build strength in your core that will help you get rid of the back pain in the long term, but for now I'm going to suggest trying to relieve some of it with yoga. I have a lot of problems with my lower back and just basic yoga stretching does wonders for relieving the pain. Just go on to youtube and type in "yoga for lower back pain" and give some of the exercises a try.

^This^ Very few back problems since starting yoga 2.5 years ago. Also cleared up my sciatic nerve problems.