One of the most common pains in society is back pain, since sedentary life, the bad postures we constantly adapt and the long hours we spend working in front of the computer in the office have made this problem one of the most common discomforts. In these cases, stretching and some easy exercises on a daily basis will help you maintain the flexibility of this area and strengthen it to relieve low back pain. Next, we explain the best low back exercises orthopedic, so take advantage of your mornings and nights to practice this lumbar stretch and you will see how your back thanks you.
Low back exercises orthopedic
Child’s pose
The child’s posture is well known in the world of yoga, as it helps to gently stretch the muscles of the lower back. It is perfect to relax in this area when it is painful and make it more flexible, so you only have to follow these steps:
- Get on the floor, resting on your hands and knees and sitting on your heels. The hands should be below the shoulders and the knees below the hip.
- Extend your arms forward; the palms of your hands should be on the floor, your head down and your chest low to fully stretch your back.
- Hold the pose for 20 to 30 seconds.
Lumbar twisting exercise
The torsion of the lower back is a perfect stretch to stretch the lumbar and buttocks, muscles that can affect back pain because they are tightened in response to such discomfort.
- Lie on your back on a mat; keep your feet flat and your knees slightly bent. Spread your arms out on the floor in a T shape.
- With your back to the ground, motionless, just turn your knees to one side. Remember to do it little by little.
- Stay in this position for 20 to 30 seconds before returning to the starting point.
- From the starting point, repeat the exercise to the opposite side. Holding you in torsion for another 20 to 30 seconds.
Cat pose
The cat or cow pose is a dynamic exercise that allows all the muscles of the lower back to move. Thanks to it, you will stretch the contracted muscles and relieve their inflammation easily and quickly.
- Stand on all fours on the floor, with your knees and hands supported. The hands should be below the shoulders, the knees below the hips and the spine parallel to the floor.
- Starting from the initial posture, arch your back as if you wanted to form an arch in the central part, between the shoulder blades, as if you were a cat.
- Keep your back hunched for 5 seconds.
- Next, relax your muscles, lowering your stomach while arching your lower back for an additional 5 seconds.
- Repeat the exercise 12 to 15 times.
Bridge Exercise
If you suffer from low back pain, you may have noticed how your pelvic area is more rigid and immobile than usual. For this reason, it is important to perform gentle stretching and flexing of the pelvis, as these will allow you to regain mobility in that area and, in turn, reduce lower back pain.
- Lie on your back on a mat, with your feet flat and your knees bent.
- Raise your glutes about 5cm above the ground and hold this pose for 5-10 seconds.
- With your pelvis elevated, try to relax your lower back. For a neutral posture, place your outstretched hands under your back. Tighten your abdomen and glutes while keeping your back flat on the floor and your pelvis tilted up.
- Then relax the area by resting your buttocks on the floor again.
- Do between 12 and 15 repetitions of this exercise.
Pelvic flexibility exercise
This exercise is a variant of pelvic tilt but is more focused on reducing low back pain almost immediately. To do this, we recommend using a flexible ball:
- Lie on your back on a mat, with your feet flat and your knees bent.
- Place a flexible ball just below the sacrum to help you keep your balance.
- Pivot on the ball by moving back and forth or with lateral movements, from left to right, gently moving the spine and pelvis.
- You will notice how, with each movement, the pain in the lumbar diminishes remarkably.
Knee to chest lift
One of the best exercises to stretch the lower back is this, raising the knees to the chest is very easy to do and helps to lengthen and relax the muscles that are contracted in the lower back. In this way, you will relieve low back pain quickly and you can strengthen the lower back.
- Lie on your back on a mat, with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent.
Place your hands resting behind the knees or on the kneecap. - Gently bring your knees up to your chest, helping yourself with your hands.
- Hold your knees to your chest for 20 to 30 seconds and return to the starting position, relaxing your muscles.
Spine rotation
One of the best exercises to strengthen the lower back is this since spinal rotation will allow you to gain muscle strength in the back. To do it correctly, follow these steps:
- Sitting on the floor with your legs slightly bent, hold a ball.
- With your arms stretched or tucked up but always very tight, begin to move the ball to one side and the other.
- Do the movement little by little so as not to damage your spine. When you notice you reach the top, head to the other side.
Core strengthening exercise
To gain muscular strength throughout the abdominal and lumbar parts, the irons are the best option. This exercise is not focused on eliminating discomfort, but on preventing it from reappearing, since keeping your back and the strong lumbar area will keep you away from back pain:
- Lie face down, with your forearms resting on the floor.
- Get up, resting your toes on the floor and keeping your abdominal area taut to keep your balance.
- The idea is that the back is completely straight, like iron, so you should avoid lowering the buttock or raising it too much.
- Stay in this position, with a tight abdomen, for 15 seconds.
- Practice the irons daily and you see the intensity increase, holding for 30 or 45 seconds.
Raised Heels Exercise
This exercise allows you to coordinate breathing with the movement of your heels while keeping your back stretched, tense and reinforced. Thanks to this, you can free yourself from accumulated tension in areas such as the lumbar region, making it ideal for relieving persistent back pain. You will have to lean on a stool or low table and follow these steps:
- Stand in front of the stool or the table and rest your hands on the base. Keep your feet flat on the floor and your legs slightly open.
- Lift your heels as you bring your head to your chest, slightly arching your back.
- Keep your shoulders relaxed, avoiding burdening your body weight on them.
- Alternate the movement with the starting position breathing deeply.
- Repeat the heel lift 12 to 15 times.
Bend and stretch your lower back
This simple exercise allows you to fully stretch your back, which is why it is recommended to do it daily if you want to relieve tension in the lumbar area, gain flexibility and strengthen the spine.
- Stand up with your legs slightly open.
- Take a deep breath, stretching your arms up and exhale in a relaxed way bringing your hands to the floor.
- Hold in this position, bringing your chest to your thighs and with your back as hunched as you can, until you feel the force of the stretch. You can flex your knees slightly to help you arch.
- After 20 to 30 seconds, slowly sit up, placing the vertebrae upright one by one.
Lumbar stretch with a stick
With the help of a stick (it can be a broom or a mop), you can perform a good stretch of the muscles that will help you align the spine and work the lumbar, cervical, dorsal and sacral areas at the same time. It is perfect for correcting back deviations.
- Stand in front of the stick, holding it with both hands and with your legs slightly open. The feet should be parallel to the hip.
- Bend your knees and bend your back forward, at a 90º angle, keeping your spine aligned. You must hold the stick horizontally all the time.
- Hold the pose for 20 to 30 seconds and go straight again. Raise the stick above your head when your back is straight again before repeating the process again.
Butterfly pose
Within the exercises for the lumbar spine, we find this simple posture. If you want a stretch that allows you to see improvements quickly, follow these steps to perfect the butterfly pose:
- Sit cross-legged on the ground, that is, as an Indian.
- Take a deep breath and extend your arms straight up, keeping your back straight and your spine aligned.
- Next, try to touch the ground with your hands, stretching your back and lumbar area as much as you can without hurting yourself.