3 Quick Exercises to Eliminate Lower Back Pain

There are few things worse than dealing with your back hurting. Try these 3 exercises to eliminate your lower back pain and get relief fast.

When your back hurts, everything gets a little bit harder.  You may have trouble getting out of bed, sitting down, or even standing up straight.

At its worst, back pain can make it impossible to do your daily activities and can severely impact your quality of life.

In this article, I'm going to share with you 3 quick exercises to help you get immediate relief from your lower back pain and how to fix it for good!

What Causes Lower Back Pain

Before we get into exercises that can help relieve your lower back pain, it's important to understand the cause of it. There are many different reasons your back could be hurting, but one of the most common is an imbalance or weakness in your glute medius muscle.

The glute medius muscle is the muscle that connects from your outer hip, over the top of your buttocks, and ends at your lower back. This muscle is largely responsible for helping you lift your legs to the side and keeping your hips stable as you walk.

When this muscle becomes too weak or is stronger on one side of your body than the other, it can cause pain that radiates all the way into your lower back. This is often caused by too much sitting or improper lifting techniques at the gym.

Here are a few ways to check if this muscle weakness or imbalance is causing your back pain:

1. When you stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and lift one leg, do you have to significantly shift your weight to the other leg?
2. You feel a pain in your lower back right at the top of your buttocks that you can put your finger on. Sometimes putting your finger on it will cause pain to shoot down your hip and buttocks.

If either one of those situations rings a bell, keep reading because the exercises I'm about to share with you will help fix that imbalance and finally give you some relief from your back pain!

3 Exercises to Fix Lower Back Pain

Side Lying Leg Lifts

This first exercise to help relieve your lower back pain is a variation of a Side Lying Leg Lift. You can use this exercise to get immediate relief from back pain as well as strengthen the muscles in your glute medius to make sure it doesn't return.

Directions:

1. Lay on your side with your hips stacked on top of each other. You can rest your head in your hand or however is comfortable for you.
2. Take your top hand and place it with your thumb pressed right where you feel the pain in your back. Apply very firm pressure with your thumb throughout the exercise.
3. Lift your top leg then bring your knee forward until it touches the ground in front of you.
4. Next, with that same top leg, straighten it and point it back and up behind you with your toes slightly pointed down. Make sure you extend your leg back behind your hips.
5. Then from that position, lift that same leg even higher, still pointed back behind your hips with your toes slightly pointed down.
6. Then return that same leg back to the original position by bending the leg and bringing the knee forward to touch the ground in front of you.
7. Repeat this exercise for 10-15 reps.

After you've completed one set, lower your leg and take a 10-second rest. Then, extend your leg back behind you with your toes slightly pointed down and hold for as long as you can.

You should feel immediate relief in your back after completing this exercise.

Perform this exercise 3-5 times a week to help prevent back pain or any time you need immediate relief.

Hip Shifts

Another good exercise to relieve lower back pain are Hip Shifts. This is a good exercise to do to help strengthen the glute medius and prevent lower back pain.

Directions:

1. Stand next to a wall with your shoulder touching the wall.
2. Lift your arm to brace against the wall to help keep your balance.
3. Next, lift the knee closest to the wall and hold it waist-high. As you do this, you might notice that your outside hip shifts away from the wall a little bit.
4. Next, flex your glute medius and shift your hips so your inside leg is touching the wall.
5. Let your hip drop away from the wall again. Repeat for 10-15 reps.

Practice this exercise daily if you're currently in pain. Otherwise, do it 3-5 times a week to prevent lower back pain.

Kettlebell Walks

The last exercise that's great for preventing lower back pain is Kettlebell Walks. Kettlebell Walks help strengthen the muscles in your glute medius.

For this exercise, you will need a kettlebell and a strap of some sort.

Directions:

1. Before you can do the exercise, you'll need to prep your equipment. Take a strap or leash and tie it in a large circle through the kettlebell handle.
2. Step inside the circle and place the strap around your hips so the kettlebell hangs between your legs. The kettlebell should be off the ground.
3. Now, holding the strap at your hips, slowly walk forward with a normal gait. As you walk the weight of the kettlebell will help force your glute medius muscle to work to help keep everything stable.
4. Walk back and forth for a few minutes.

Perform this exercise 3-5 days a week to help strengthen your glute medius and prevent lower back pain.

Tips for Preventing Lower Back Pain

Beyond performing these exercises, here are some tips for preventing lower back pain.

• Strengthen the muscles in your posterior chain. Most back pain occurs from a weakening of the muscles in your posterior chain. These include the muscles from your back all the way down the back of your legs. Keeping these muscles strong can help prevent pain.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight puts extra strain on your back muscles.
• Sit up straight. Slouching can put unnecessary strain on your back, so be sure to sit up nice and tall.
• Use good posture. Good posture is incredibly important for preventing lower back pain. Be sure to sit up straight and avoid slouching. When standing, keep your weight evenly distributed on both feet.
• Stretch regularly. A good stretching routine can help keep your back muscles flexible and prevent pain.
• Use proper technique when lifting or training. When you do lift something, be sure to use proper form. This means keeping your back straight and avoiding any jerking motions. Always engage the core muscles to help support your spine.
• Try to avoid sitting too long. Take breaks when at work to get up and walk around. If you must sit for long periods of time, be sure to use a supportive chair that helps keep your back in alignment.

Conclusion

I hope the exercises and tips in this article help you prevent lower back pain. Remember, the best way to avoid pain is to prevent it in the first place by maintaining strong muscles and good posture. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below.