5 Exercises that Help Relieve Lower Back Pain

Whether you’re in your 20s or your 60s, lower back pain can be a nuisance. It can hinder you from performing your daily tasks, which is why you need to target it and make it go away as soon as you start seeing the first signs of lower back pain. Unfortunately, we live in a world that has adopted lazy habits and extreme physical inactivity. Most of us are forced to sit for long hours in universities or workplaces, which takes a toll on our backs, resulting in lower back pain.

We’re here with the top 5 exercises that help relieve lower back pain, so keep reading to find out more!

Cat and Cow Stretches

Cat and cow stretch decompress your spine one way and then the other to make sure that the tension between your vertebral bones is relieved. To perform cat and cow stretches, follow the instructions below:

• Get down on all fours, the way a cat or a cow does. Your knees, as well as your palms, should be your supporting points.
  
• First, keep your back straight.
  
• Next, breathe in deeply and while doing so, curve your spine so that it comes closer to the ground.
  
• After that, breathe out deeply while curving and stretching your spine in the opposite direction.
  
• Keep doing this for a few minutes.

Be careful not to overburden your wrist joint while doing this exercise.

The Swimming Exercise

This is another interesting exercise that relieves lower back pain. To perform the swimming exercise, follow the instructions below:

• Lie down flat on your stomach.
  
• Next, lift your shoulders and your hands off the ground, in front of you.
  
• Simultaneously, lift your thighs and legs off the ground too, so that your only support with the ground is your abdomen and hip.
  
• Now, flutter your arms and legs the way you would while swimming, for a few seconds.
  
• Come back to the rest position after a few seconds and then repeat this exercise for a few minutes!

This is a pretty simple and easy exercise to perform. Even performing this exercise for a few minutes every day can help alleviate lower back pain!

Cat Stretches

Have you ever seen the way cats stretch? If yes, then you already have a picture in your mind of what I’m going to talk about. To perform cat stretches, follow the instructions below:

• Support your body on all fours, like a cat, so that your palms and knees are supporting your body.
  
• Next, keep your back straight.
  
• After that, breathe in deeply and breathe out while flexing your hips so that your back goes backward and downward.

Try all of these exercises alternately and consistently to help relieve lower back pain. However, if these exercises exaggerate your lower back pain, then you should consult a doctor or physiotherapist because it may indicate some underlying medical cause that needs to be treated.

The Gluteal Bridges

You’ve probably performed this exercise multiple times in your gymnastic classes as a child. To gluteal bridges are great for your backs as well as your gluteal muscles.

To perform this exercise, follow the instructions below:

• Lie flat on your back, preferably on an exercise mat.
  
• Next, keep your arms on the ground, alongside your body.
  
• After that, flex your hips and thighs so that your thighs and legs form an inverted “V”.
  
• Next, raise your hips so that your abdomen forms a straight line with your thighs.
  
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
  
• Next, get back to the resting position.
  
• Repeat this exercise a few times.

The Upside-Down Planks

Just like the plank, this is also a pretty simple exercise/stretch that allows your spinal cord to decompress and relaxes the muscles of your back. To perform this exercise, follow the instructions below:

• Sit down on an exercising mat, so that your legs are spread forward.
  
• Next, extend your hands and arms backward, and support your upper body on your palms, with your palms directly beneath the shoulder. Be very careful in positioning your palms so that it doesn’t twist your shoulders.
  
• Simultaneously, support your lower body on the heels of your feet. This exercise is much easier to perform when done with gym shoes.
  

Your whole body should be in one straight line, so be careful about that too.