Back pain can make the simplest things like cleaning your house, doing laundry, and exercising difficult and painful. If your back hurts when you try to be more active, you may not have enough strength or endurance in your trunk muscles (also called your core). Here are 3 basic exercises you can do to start building a strong core and resolve your back pain.
Side planks
Sideplanks are a great basic exercise to increase strength and endurance of the muscles on the side of your trunk. They work together with the rest of your trunk muscles to give you a strong core for your body to move around. Start with a 10 sec hold and perform it for 10 reps. You may feel your shoulder muscles get tired as well. That is ok as long as there is no pain. Do these daily to start and try to work your way gradually up to 2 1-minute holds.
Bird Dog
Bird dogs help to work on endurance of your low back muscles as well as awareness and control of your spine. Do 10 reps on 1 side and then switch sides. Hold for 5 seconds at the top to start. Increase to 10 seconds as it gets easier.
Bridges
Bridges are a great way to improve your ability to control how your back moves as well as regain some strength and endurance in your low back muscles and glutes. Initially try to hold at the top for 10 seconds and do 2 sets of 10 reps. As they get easier, you can increase the hold times, trying to work up to 30 sec holds for 3 sets. 1 – 2 times a day will help you progress as quickly as possible.
None of the exercises above should increase your pain. If they do, or if you’ve tried these and you’re still hurting, we’d love to help you! At Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine, we’re experts at evaluating back pain and will develop a plan to help you overcome it.
Call our office at 703-299-3111, or click here and a member of our team will schedule you an evaluation with one of our highly skilled physical therapists.
Working to keep you living your best life,
The Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Team
