What exercises do you do to prevent lower back pain?

Hi geelouis, have you seen a doctor or physiotherapist about your back issues and have they prescribed any exercises for you? Curl ups, planks, and side planks are all quite demanding exercises for the low back and I would generally only suggest these to someone without back pain. Bird dogs, when done correctly, are excellent for building up some core stability and strength. It really is difficult to give suggestions online about exercise when there are injuries involved. To ensure someone is learning how to use their "core" it takes a lot of practice and feedback from seeing someone in person, which is where someone like a physiotherapist comes in. That being said, you can start with exercises that are easier on the low back, but will start to work on the ability to keep your core engaged while adding movement (and breathing!). Then, when you can do these exercises without pain, you can progress to more challenging ones, maybe eventually working up to things like planks.

Here are a couple of examples that I would normally begin with:

Deadbug

Lie flat on your back, with your lower back neutral (not completely flat against the floor and not overly arched). Place your fingers at your sides on the bony area of your pelvis just below your waist. Now tighten your stomach muscles as if you were about to get punched. Lift one foot a couple of inches off the ground while keeping your stomach tight and keeping your back in the neutral position. Then put your foot down and lift the other foot. Keep your hands on your pelvis to make sure that you are not tilting your pelvis as you lift your feet. Alternate the feet for 20 repetitions while keeping your pelvis stable.

Bridging

Lie flat on your back, bend your knees, and keep your feet flat on the floor. Find the neutral position as illustrated above. After which, lift your hips off the ground, maintaining a neutral position in the lower back and keeping the spine straight and your weight on your upper back. Lift your hips up until you begin to find it difficult to maintain the neutral position. Keep your arms at your side, palms down on the floor to provide stability so your hips do not tilt side to side. Lower to the floor and lift up 20 times. To increase the difficulty of this exercise, do alternate leg lifts while bridging.

Generally, I would only progress someone to a more difficult version of an exercise once they can do these a) while maintaining core engagement, b) maintaining a neutral spine, and c) they can breathe throughout the exercise. And I would strongly suggest seeing a professional in person.
 
Appreciate the advice, PLB. Are you a PT by any chance?

My doctor gave me a referral for PT but also suggested I do some Google research because there are many resources for low back pain. Also, I don't have the best insurance, so I didn't want to be paying a lot of out of pocket.

The reason I go with those 4 exercises is that the r/backpain subreddit really promotes Stuart McGill, and those are exercises he promotes. It sounds like I need to not trust everything I read on the internet (or at least do more homework). :p

If anyone else has suggestions on exercises, I am all ears!

Hi geelouis, have you seen a doctor or physiotherapist about your back issues and have they prescribed any exercises for you? Curl ups, planks, and side planks are all quite demanding exercises for the low back and I would generally only suggest these to someone without back pain. Bird dogs, when done correctly, are excellent for building up some core stability and strength. It really is difficult to give suggestions online about exercise when there are injuries involved. To ensure someone is learning how to use their "core" it takes a lot of practice and feedback from seeing someone in person, which is where someone like a physiotherapist comes in. That being said, you can start with exercises that are easier on the low back, but will start to work on the ability to keep your core engaged while adding movement (and breathing!). Then, when you can do these exercises without pain, you can progress to more challenging ones, maybe eventually working up to things like planks.

Here are a couple of examples that I would normally begin with:

Deadbug

Lie flat on your back, with your lower back neutral (not completely flat against the floor and not overly arched). Place your fingers at your sides on the bony area of your pelvis just below your waist. Now tighten your stomach muscles as if you were about to get punched. Lift one foot a couple of inches off the ground while keeping your stomach tight and keeping your back in the neutral position. Then put your foot down and lift the other foot. Keep your hands on your pelvis to make sure that you are not tilting your pelvis as you lift your feet. Alternate the feet for 20 repetitions while keeping your pelvis stable.

Bridging

Lie flat on your back, bend your knees, and keep your feet flat on the floor. Find the neutral position as illustrated above. After which, lift your hips off the ground, maintaining a neutral position in the lower back and keeping the spine straight and your weight on your upper back. Lift your hips up until you begin to find it difficult to maintain the neutral position. Keep your arms at your side, palms down on the floor to provide stability so your hips do not tilt side to side. Lower to the floor and lift up 20 times. To increase the difficulty of this exercise, do alternate leg lifts while bridging.

Generally, I would only progress someone to a more difficult version of an exercise once they can do these a) while maintaining core engagement, b) maintaining a neutral spine, and c) they can breathe throughout the exercise. And I would strongly suggest seeing a professional in person.
 
Appreciate the advice, PLB. Are you a PT by any chance?

My doctor gave me a referral for PT but also suggested I do some Google research because there are many resources for low back pain. Also, I don't have the best insurance, so I didn't want to be paying a lot of out of pocket.

The reason I go with those 4 exercises is that the r/backpain subreddit really promotes Stuart McGill, and those are exercises he promotes. It sounds like I need to not trust everything I read on the internet (or at least do more homework). :p

If anyone else has suggestions on exercises, I am all ears!

Hey geelouis, I have a BSc in Kinesiology and am certified as a personal trainer through ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine), but I am not a physiotherapist, if that is what you mean by PT. I have not been practicing for a few years but have maintained my certifications, so just getting back into the swing of things.

Stuart McGill is an AWESOME resource! I'm so glad to hear that you found this while google searching, as google can be good, but steer people in the wrong direction quite easily. I didn't mean to sound like I was saying those are "bad" exercises, just not what I would start with. And when giving out any advice online, I will tend to be extremely cautious and always encourage you to be seeing a professional in person. I would definitely suggest seeing a physiotherapist to get an initial assessment and gauge your starting point. If you follow their instructions and are consistent with your exercises, you may not have to go back often. So many people do not follow their physio's advice and have to go back more often for that reason.

Let me take a look at the reddit page and grab my McGill text and get back to you!
 
Hey geelouis, how's it been going? Did you get a start on any exercises? Sorry it took me so long to get back to you, it was a busy couple of days! I took a quick look at the subreddit and there is a lot of info to go through there and they seem to be on top of keeping it evidence-based, which is great!

Taking a look at the McGill textbook that I've got (Low Back Disorders, 2nd Edition) there are some plank and side plank progressions that you could possibly start with and build up to the "regular" versions of those planks. For example, a beginner's side plank could be starting from the knees. Oh and I was reminded of the Potty Squat, which was one I normally included in the beginning stages of a program.
 
Thanks for checking in on me. I added bird dogs and bridging to my regular routine. I didn't realize the name for what you refer to as the potty squat. But I have done that as well, typically after walking a while and my back gets stiff. In general, I can handle all the exercises we've talked about no problem since I am not in pain at the moment. Right now, I am experimenting to figure out the exercises which are most effective at preventing future flareups but also won't be a huge timesuck! So far, I am doing the exercises daily. At most, I think I can go 72 hours without these exercises but then I can feel my back getting a bit achy.
 
Hey that's great that things seem to be going well so far. I'm sure that the Potty Squat goes by other names, that's just what this particular textbook calls it. Lol. You seem to have a good approach in seeing what is working for your back!
 
There are so much exercises. But I think these are the help you accurate. Such as YogamPose, Deep Abdominal Strengthening, Lower Back Stretch, Pelvic Tilts and there are much more. Hopefully its help you.
 
exercises do you do to prevent lower back pain

To perform lying lateral leg lifts:(indian workouts)
  1. Lie on one side with the legs together.
  2. Keep the lower leg slightly bent.
  3. Draw the bellybutton into the spine to engage the core muscles.
  4. Raise the top leg about 18 inches, keeping it straight and extended.
  5. Hold the position for 2 seconds.
  6. Repeat 10 times.
Use heat and cold are effective ways to get relief from back pain. Ice packs are most beneficial when a person uses them directly after an injury, such as a strain. Applying an ice pack wrapped in a towel directly to the back can reduce inflammation.
 
Hi
I would like to say every exercise has its own benefits, so its depends what kind of pain you are facing. But I suggest to take the help of Yoga exercises for back pain but that must also under experts guidance. Also, I am sharing you a link regarding exercises for back pain relief as per your query. Hope it will help you.(y)(y)

10 Core Exercises for Lower Back Pain Relief
(Fitness Trainer)
 
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