How to Reduce Lower Back Pain With Easy Exercises

Lower back pain is a problem that many people have that can significantly reduce their quality of life. Fortunately, there are quick and easy exercises that anyone can do that will greatly minimize lower back pain. Here are a few tips on these lower back pain-reducing exercises. Reiko Makino is a certified Pilates Instructor at Equinox. She helps in improving muscular endurance, balance, stability, and core strength. She is graduated from Teikyo University.

When getting ready to do these exercises, find a good place in your home or gym to exercise. The best solution is to find an empty area on your floor where you can place an exercise mat. Because these exercises will require you to be laying down, a good exercise mat is well worth the investment.

To further prepare for exercising, make sure to stretch. Good stretches to begin with stretch the hamstrings. To stretch the hamstrings, simply sit down on the floor and try to touch your toes. You can also do this standing up. You can also stretch your back muscles by holding on to a firm bar, such as a kitchen sink, and then pulling your butt horizontally towards the rear. You should feel a nice stretch down the middle of your back. Other helpful stretches include stretching your thigh muscles and calf muscles.

Once you are fully stretched, it is time to begin the exercises. Lie on top of your exercise mat with your back flat on the floor with your knees bent. You should be able to keep your feet flat on the floor in this position.

After being in this start position, the goal of the exercise is to bring your head straight up in the air so that your torso lifts off the mat, and then straight down. This is essentially a modified crunch-type exercise. You can keep your hands on your stomach to feel your stomach muscles contracting. 

When beginning, you should aim for 10 or 20 crunches per set, and do three sets. As you progress with your exercises, you should be able to do three sets of 50 crunches each. In between exercises, you can lay out flat and rest your muscles, or you can bring your knees to your chest and pull them in with your arms. This will stretch your lower back muscles.

After doing three sets of modified crunches, the next and final exercise is to flip over on your belly and lay flat. In this position, you should have your arms stretched out like superman slightly angled out from your body, as well as having your legs straight out and slightly angled away from your body. You should raise one hand in the air and simultaneously raise the opposite leg in the air. Three sets of 12 repetitions, alternating sides after each repetition, is the right amount of exercise. In between sets, you should rest on your elbows and stretch out your back.

If you do the above two exercises every morning for 10 minutes, you will start to feel results right away, and within two weeks you should dramatically reduce your back pain. These exercises are easy to do, and quickly strengthen core muscles that help minimize back issues.