Core Conditioning w/ Low Back Pain

Lower-back-pain

Statistics show that 80% of American adults will at some point in their life suffer from low back pain. Like many of my clients, I’ve dealt with chronic low back pain since my early 20’s due to a degenerated disc in my L4-L5 lumbar spine (most common problem site). As you can image as a personal trainer and fitness enthusiast who loves to workout that this was an extremely frustrating issue for me to deal with. I’m happy to say that I have been able to get to a point where my episodes of low back pain are not only extremely infrequent, but also much more mild than they ever used to be. What’s the trick? Core conditioning without irritating is the secret, which I’m going to talk about in this article.

You’ve probably already heard or been told that the key to reducing the frequency and intensity of low back pain is to strengthen your core…which is true, but it’s also important to strengthen the piriformis muscles (hip flexors, erectors, hamstrings, and glutes. So how do you strengthen all those muscles without placing stress on your lower back? Simple- Focus on exercises that target the deep abdominal/piriformis muscles as opposed to the rectus abdominals or the “6 pack.” Forget about the sit-ups, crunches, and straight leg raises. Not only are they ineffective at strengthening the deep core/piriformis muscles which protect the low back , but they also place an enormous amount of stress on the lower back and can cause more potential harm than good.

Luckily, there are several core exercises that target the deep abdominal and postural muscles while placing minimal stress on the lower back. Just remember, if you currently suffer from severe, chronic low back pain to check with your physician before engaging in any new exercise program. Everyone’s case and condition is different and it’s always important to understand your limitations before engaging in any new exercise to make sure it is appropriate for your particular case.

Low-Back Friendly Core Conditioning Exercises

All of these exercises should be done 1-2 times per week in 3-4 sets. Repetitions should be based on a time or a number completed that is appropriate for your thresholds (challenging to you, but able to be accomplished without risk of injury). Remember to understand your limitations and listen to pain. There’s a big difference between normal muscle fatigue/discomfort brought on by exercise and pain associated with inflammation. Stop any exercise immediately once inflammation is present. The key is to strengthen as much as you can without causing inflammation and the backing off when it does occur to allow it to reduce and not spread. Also be sure to do a proper warm up of low-impact aerobics and stretches for the hips, hamstrings, and piriformis before beginning.

 1. Prone Bridge (Plank)- Click here for a video demonstration

2. Side Bridge (Side Plank)- Click here for a video demonstration

3. Bird Dog- Click here for a video demonstration

4. Lying Hip Abductors- Click here for a video demonstration

5. Lying Hip Bridges (Supine Lifts)- Click here for a video demonstration

These are just some of the exercises that you can start with to gradually increase your core strength and minimize placing stress on your lower back. I do most of these exercises myself every week and have been able to gradually incorporate more vigorous core exercises that used to irritate my lower back as a result. I hope they help do the same for you!

Please feel free to post any questions/comments you have on the NO B.S. FITNESS blog forum or on my Facebook business page wall- www.facebook.com/checkfitness for a discussion.