Strengthening your core with exercises like the bird dog can help relieve back pain.
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Hydrow/LIVESTRONG.com
Much of our daily back pain comes from what happens outside the gym. When you sit for too long at work or in the car, your abdominal muscles aren’t as active as when you’re standing or moving.
“If your core is weak, your back muscles will take on more of the workload to keep you upright and moving throughout the day,” says Peter Donoghue, CSCS, two-time Olympic and Hydrow coach. “But when the abdominal muscles are strong, your back is better supported and can function more freely without having to compensate for a weak core.”
However, simply adding more crunches isn’t enough to stop your back pain. “It’s important to prepare your body for mobility and flexibility exercises before strength and endurance training,” Donoghue said.
He recommends adding flexibility and balance exercises to each workout to get your body in the proper position to prepare for the added load. A study in July 2020Northeast Journal of Experimental MedicineOnly three to four days a week of core exercises and hip stretches were found to reduce pain and improve physical function, balance, and activity levels in people with lower back problems.
Try This 10-Minute Ab Workout for Back Pain Relief
1. Cat Cow
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time
1 minute
part of the body
Abs and Back
- Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Exhale as you bend your back upwards, pulling your navel toward your spine and tuck your chin toward your chest.
- On an inhale, drop your belly toward the floor while arching your back.
- Continue to move between cat and cow poses for 60 seconds, allowing your body to move with your breath.
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hint
If your back is particularly tight and you need to do a few more stretches, try doing it for a few minutes hip flexors, psoas major and quadrilateral stretch Helps you relax tightness in your lower back.
2. Crunch series
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- Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the mat, hands behind your head, elbows out.
- Press your lower back against the mat. Tilt your chin slightly toward your chest, as if you were gently holding an apple under your chin.
- Curl into a half curl, keeping your abs tight and your back flat.
- Raise and lower 10 sit-ups without fully returning to the ground.
- On the last sit-up, hold for 5 seconds, then lower your shoulders to the mat and rest 5 times.
- Repeat the crunch 10 more times and hold for 5 counts on top of the last crunch.
- Without returning to the ground, extend the right elbow to the left, then the left elbow to the right, 5 times at a time.
- Lower back and rest 5 times.
- Next, lift your legs and bend your knees on the reverse tabletop.
- Tighten like you’re trying to connect the bottom of your ribs to your hips.
- Do it 10 times.
- On top of the last crunch, hold for 5 counts, then lower to rest for 5 seconds.
- Then, lean to the side, extending each elbow to the opposite knee 5 times, then lower to the ground.
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3. Bird Dog
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set
3
time
10 seconds
part of the body
Back, hips and abs
- Start with your hands and knees with your neck and spine in a neutral position.
- Extend your right arm and left leg at the same time.
- Hold for 10 seconds.
- Back to the limbs.
- Switch sides and hold for 10 seconds.
- Repeat 3 times on each side.
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4. Flat Knee Touch
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set
3
represent
20
part of the body
Abs, hips and back
- Start on a low plank and balance on your forearms and toes.
- Before straightening again, lightly tap to lower your right knee, barely touching the mat.
- Repeat with left knee.
- Continue to strike the knees alternately for a total of 20 reps (10 on each knee). Do 3 sets.
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5. Side panel with swivel
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set
2
time
30 seconds
part of the body
absolute value
- Start with the modified side panel on the right. Support your upper body with your right arm and bend your right knee to support your lower hip. Straighten your left leg and lift your left arm toward the ceiling.
- Drop your left arm and rotate down toward the ground. Pass your left arm through the space under your body.
- Release the arm and return to the starting position.
- Repeat this movement slowly for 30 seconds.
- Repeat on your left.
- Do this exercise twice on each side.
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