Regardless of whether you are new to the gym, just started going out for regular jogs or runs, or are an avid fitness enthusiast who leads an active lifestyle, all of us are going to experience some muscle soreness from time to time after our workouts. It’s an inevitability and something that comes with the territory of putting stress on our bodies.
Sometimes the pain can become too much to bear and interfere with our ability to get back into our workout schedule. Most commonly, pain in the lower back can be extremely limiting of our exercise routine. It often is the result of overworking these muscles, performing exercises incorrectly and putting undue stress on these muscles, or just bad posture in general. So how do you remedy this situation and get back to normal functioning so you can go about your workouts (and your day) without pain?
Stretches to Remedy Lower Back Pain
There are a number of stretches and movements, fortunately, that can help loosen up this area and get you back to feeling better. I’ll detail a few of these below, and the best part is you can do these in the comfort of home!
Bridges
These are great movements to build up some strength in your lower back so that the next time you work out, they won’t be as stressed. As an added benefit, they also incorporate your glutes and hamstrings. In addition to building strength, this exercise also pushes spinal fluid (the lubricant between your discs and vertebrae) to reduce friction and keep your spine moving fluidly.
Rather than describe how to do it textually, I find it is easier to just show you a visual demonstration of these exercises. Check out the video below on how to do a proper bridge.
Superman
This movement targets the lower back as well as your hamstrings and glutes, just like the bridge exercise. The great part about this (and most movements I list here) is that it is low impact and really isolates the lower lumbar muscles. It also activates your core muscles and legs, key areas that support your lower back. Performing a superman exercise will develop a strong core and trunk as well as add strength to your back muscles.
The video below shows how to perform this exercise.
Supine Hamstring Stretch
While the two above-mentioned exercises are movements to build strength in the lower back area, it’s also important (and overlooked) to include stretches to relieve lower back pain. The supine hamstring stretch is great for this. While the pain is in the lumbar region, one of the causes often derives from tightness in the hamstring. This can lead to an unnatural pull on the muscles and nerves that connect to your back. Increasing elasticity in this area can help with this pain.
You can perform this exercise anywhere, as shown in the video below. All you need is a little floor space!
Supine Piriformis Stretch
This is similar to the one listed above, with the same goal of increasing elasticity in your hamstrings, glutes, and pelvic muscles – all of which support the lower back. Check out the video below on how to properly perform this stretch and be sure to do this regularly to keep these muscles loose!
Conclusion
Most of you reading this article are probably in pain and needing to do these movements and stretches right now. If that’s the case, get going! Beyond that, you should be adding these to your routine at least three times per week, regardless of whether you are in pain or not, to help strengthen and loosen these muscles to prevent future lower back pain. Gradually increase the frequency and duration of these stretches for the best results!
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