5 Exercises To Strengthen Your Lower Back Muscles
If you’re looking to engage your lower back muscles, relieve back pain, and improve your posture, these 5 exercises are a must.
Scientists say that being sedentary is the disease of our generation. Well, I don’t even know if we’re part of the same generation – so let’s just agree that this applies to everybody who’s ever worked in an office.
You sit all day and lie all night, and when you finally have to lift a heavy box or a not-so-heavy-and-more-adorable kid of yours, you feel like you’re going to break in two.
The problem is that our lower back muscles are underdeveloped because we stay in front of a computer all day. No wonder we’re all aching before we even reach 30!
So are we doomed, or is there salvation? Well, the salvation is there, and I call it The Deadlift & Co.
Exercises For Lower Back Muscles
Perform these 5 exercises to strengthen your lower back muscles so that the modern work style doesn’t ruin your modern life.
1. The Deadlift
I was not joking, this is the mother and father of all exercises for lower back muscles. The bodybuilding community loves it. Every girl who ever wanted a cute butt should love it. And so should you.
There are so many amazing benefits for your lower back muscles in the simple act of bending at the hips to lift a barbell off the floor.
While this exercise also trains your hamstrings and your glutes, it’s working your core with every repetition – and that includes your lower back muscles!
Keep your back straight, eyes looking forward, and lift that beauty off the floor!
2. Superman
The second exercise that targets your lower back muscles sounds badass, looks easy, but in fact, it will make you feel the burn! The name is pretty self-explanatory, and all you need is your body and a nice mat on which you can lie.
As you lie face down, lift your hands and your legs towards the ceiling, hold that position for a few seconds, and voila! You’re flying!
Yes, it’s bodyweight, and yes it looks like something your 5-year-old could do. But this exercise targets your lower back muscles, as well as your upper back, your glutes, and your legs.
It’s pretty intense if you have proper form, and if you’re going to feel a bit like Superman when you’re done, we’ll I’m not gonna blame you!
3. Hyperextensions
If you know anything about me, it’s that I’m crazy about exercises that work more than one muscle.
So while hyperextensions are great for your lower back muscles, they will also help strengthen your upper legs and activate your core.
All you need to do is fight gravity using your lower back muscles as you lower your upper part of the body, and then get it back up.
If you want a little extra edge to make sure you feel your lower back muscles burning a little bit more, grab a weight while you perform this exercise.
4. Russian Twist
This exercise for your lower back muscles comes disguised as a core workout, but don’t let it fool you, this is not your regular barbie-crunch that you can do a hundred reps each set.
This can make and break you, and if you hold a dumbbell as you move your arms from one side to the other, you’re really targeting your lower back muscles!
This exercise can be performed in many ways, and they’re usually recommended for your obliques, but they are an amazing exercise for your back as well.
Unlike sit-ups, the Russian Twist does not put too much uncomfortable pressure on your lower back muscles – just enough to feel a nice burn.
5. Child Pose
I know, I know, I’ve been talking about exercising your lower back muscles like crazy and now I come to you with yoga? Well, hear me out.
After 4 intense exercises, you can’t just pack your gym bag and go home. Your lower back muscles are going to be very tense. And by the time you wake up for work tomorrow, they’re going to be super-sore too.
So the final exercise for you is a nice stretching exercise:
- Start in a kneeling position and drop your butt toward your heels as you stretch your arms and the rest of your body on the floor in front.
- Rest your stomach on the top of your thighs, and feel free to wiggle a bit until you find a comfortable position.
Your lower back muscles are going to be a little tense, so take it easy and don’t jerk them into position. Slowly, ease them into this stretch to make sure you get all the benefits of this light exercise.
So tell us… How do YOU strengthen your lower back muscles? Share your back exercises and tips in the comments below.
