Geschatte leestijd: 5 minutenOne of the most common physical complaints among people is having back pain, especially in the lower back. Ultimately, this can play a role in almost 80% of all adults. Here, we mainly refer to chronic pain that is long-lasting (more than 3 to 6 months) and almost continuous in nature.
It mainly occurs in people who sit for prolonged periods or have heavy physical work. Additionally, it’s a common problem for people with an abnormal curvature of the (lumbar) spine. Usually, there’s no clear cause for back problems. Often, they are minor issues like strains and muscle tears that cause the pain. Other causes may include obesity, smoking, pregnancy, stress, poor posture, and poor fitness. Additionally, back problems can arise from a poor sleeping position. Serious causes of back problems can also include osteoporosis, rheumatism, hernias, tumors, and degeneration of the vertebral discs.
Preventing Back Pain
If you want to prevent back pain, it’s important to start with lower back exercises. First and foremost, having a well-trained or strong core is important. Strength comes from your core, and there must always be a good foundation before training other heavy exercises for chest, legs, and arms, for example. A strong, balanced core ensures good posture, which often prevents injuries. It’s therefore important to do various exercises and find the right balance, so not training your
abdominal muscles much more than your back or especially the muscles in the lower back. There’s no definitive solution to prevent back pain, but proper training of the core muscles leads to better posture and good muscle condition, which can certainly have a positive effect on preventing back pain. Often paying attention to proper posture and bending your knees when lifting can also help prevent back pain.
The Best Exercises to Train Your Lower Back
Machine Back Extension
This exercise primarily targets the deeper back muscles. In this exercise, you push the weight backwards, stretching the spine at the bottom. Many people train these muscles heavily with few repetitions, but it’s advisable to perform it lighter with more repetitions, such as three sets of 15-20 repetitions (reps). Especially because these muscles can be better trained for condition, as they are almost constantly working and consist of many slow-twitch muscle fibers. Slow-twitch muscle fibers are designed to contract often for long periods repeatedly, so they are best trained for endurance because they are not made for powerful contractions.
Stiff-Legged Deadlift
- This exercise is a bit more difficult to perform but trains both the lower back, glutes, and hamstring muscles.
- Keep your back straight and try to keep the legs straight. (often a slight bend is necessary, partly due to short hamstrings).
- Grab the barbell shoulder-width apart with thumbs inward.
- Bring the body into a horizontal position and let the barbell descend to the middle of your shins and do not drop the barbell.
- Make sure the back never rounds.
Planks
- Planks are an isometric exercise. You train the back, waist, and abdominal muscles without shortening the muscles but by creating constant tension.
- Keep the back straight with the neck and hips at the same height as the back.
- Don’t forget to breathe and pull the navel in (suck in your belly).
- Try to build up this exercise so that you can hold it for at least a minute.
Hyperextension
- Place the thighs on the cushion and clamp the ankles behind the support rollers
- Lower the upper body and then make an upward movement
- Make sure not to overextend or go too far upward.
- This exercise is often performed with extra weight (a disc held against the chest) but even with this exercise, it’s better to train for endurance than for strength. So do about 15 to 20 repetitions and repeat this 3 times.
Conclusion
In most cases, chronic back pain consists of minor annoying muscle strains and tears. By properly training the core muscles of the lower back, many back problems are likely to be better prevented or only become a problem later in life. Unfortunately, there are also severe cases where training itself has a smaller beneficial effect, although in most cases, training will always have a positive effect on relieving back pain. Additionally, it’s interesting to look into ground exercises for strengthening the lower back, such as the opposite arm and leg raise.
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One of the most common physical complaints among people is having back pain, especially in the lower back. Ultimately, this can play a role in almost 80% of all adults. Here, we mainly refer to chronic pain that is long-lasting (more than 3 to 6 months) and almost continuous in nature.
It mainly occurs in people who sit for prolonged periods or have heavy physical work. Additionally, it’s a common problem for people with an abnormal curvature of the (lumbar) spine. Usually, there’s no clear cause for back problems. Often, they are minor issues like strains and muscle tears that cause the pain. Other causes may include obesity, smoking, pregnancy, stress, poor posture, and poor fitness. Additionally, back problems can arise from a poor sleeping position. Serious causes of back problems can also include osteoporosis, rheumatism, hernias, tumors, and degeneration of the vertebral discs.
Preventing Back Pain
If you want to prevent back pain, it’s important to start with lower back exercises. First and foremost, having a well-trained or strong core is important. Strength comes from your core, and there must always be a good foundation before training other heavy exercises for chest, legs, and arms, for example. A strong, balanced core ensures good posture, which often prevents injuries. It’s therefore important to do various exercises and find the right balance, so not training your
abdominal muscles much more than your back or especially the muscles in the lower back. There’s no definitive solution to prevent back pain, but proper training of the core muscles leads to better posture and good muscle condition, which can certainly have a positive effect on preventing back pain. Often paying attention to proper posture and bending your knees when lifting can also help prevent back pain.
The Best Exercises to Train Your Lower Back
Machine Back Extension
This exercise primarily targets the deeper back muscles. In this exercise, you push the weight backwards, stretching the spine at the bottom. Many people train these muscles heavily with few repetitions, but it’s advisable to perform it lighter with more repetitions, such as three sets of 15-20 repetitions (reps). Especially because these muscles can be better trained for condition, as they are almost constantly working and consist of many slow-twitch muscle fibers. Slow-twitch muscle fibers are designed to contract often for long periods repeatedly, so they are best trained for endurance because they are not made for powerful contractions.
Stiff-Legged Deadlift
- This exercise is a bit more difficult to perform but trains both the lower back, glutes, and hamstring muscles.
- Keep your back straight and try to keep the legs straight. (often a slight bend is necessary, partly due to short hamstrings).
- Grab the barbell shoulder-width apart with thumbs inward.
- Bring the body into a horizontal position and let the barbell descend to the middle of your shins and do not drop the barbell.
- Make sure the back never rounds.
Planks
- Planks are an isometric exercise. You train the back, waist, and abdominal muscles without shortening the muscles but by creating constant tension.
- Keep the back straight with the neck and hips at the same height as the back.
- Don’t forget to breathe and pull the navel in (suck in your belly).
- Try to build up this exercise so that you can hold it for at least a minute.
Hyperextension
- Place the thighs on the cushion and clamp the ankles behind the support rollers
- Lower the upper body and then make an upward movement
- Make sure not to overextend or go too far upward.
- This exercise is often performed with extra weight (a disc held against the chest) but even with this exercise, it’s better to train for endurance than for strength. So do about 15 to 20 repetitions and repeat this 3 times.
Conclusion
In most cases, chronic back pain consists of minor annoying muscle strains and tears. By properly training the core muscles of the lower back, many back problems are likely to be better prevented or only become a problem later in life. Unfortunately, there are also severe cases where training itself has a smaller beneficial effect, although in most cases, training will always have a positive effect on relieving back pain. Additionally, it’s interesting to look into ground exercises for strengthening the lower back, such as the opposite arm and leg raise.
