PRAYER STRETCH Start on your knees and bend forward, reaching arms out on floor in front of you as shown. Hold for 15 seconds, repeat 3 times. Helps Back Pain www.simpleset.net Try this movement if you are experiencing back pain. EXERCISE OF THE MONTH
How To Strengthen Your Lower Back So You Can Have Good Posture For Life
(continued from outside) 2. Bridge pose
Dunlop says working your glutes pulls double-duty for back strength, too. “The gluteus maximus is one of three muscles that wrap into the glutes and is really the strongest and largest muscle in the entire body,” she says. “They’re responsible for all our movement, which is why strengthening them really helps your lower back.” Typically, squats are the go-to glutes move, but Dunlop prefers bridge pose for people building their lower back strength. How to do it: Lay on your back, with knees bent and feet planted firmly on the floor. Slowly lift your hips up until your lower back is completely off the ground and your pelvis is parallel to the ground. Hold for a few seconds before carefully lowering back down. Repeat. “This strengthens your glutes without putting as much pressure on your lower back as squats,” Dunlop says. 3. Donkey kicks How to do it: Get down on your hands and knees, with your hands directly over your shoulders. Raise up your right leg, keeping your knee at a 90-degree angle, until your leg is parallel to the ground. Slowly lower it back down to the ground. Repeat for 90 seconds, then switch legs. 4. Reverse lunges How to do it: Stand with your feet shoulder-length apart. Move your right leg back while bending your left knee forward and lowering your hips, stopping when your back knee is bent in a 90-degree angle, and your front knee is in line with your ankle. Hold for one second, and then slowly come back to the starting position. Repeat for 90 seconds, then switch legs. 5. Superman The last major lower-back strengthening move Dunlop recommends adding to your workout routine is the Superman, which she says engages the entire backside of the body without putting too much pressure on your lower back. “This move you’ll definitely feel in your lower back, and it also engages your glutes, shoulders, and upper back muscles,” she says. How to do it: Lay flat on your stomach, with your arms straight out in front of you and your legs going straight back behind you. Lift your arms and legs a few inches up off the floor. Hold for 30 seconds before coming back down. Repeat. When it comes to all of these moves, Dunlop says it’s important to listen to your body and not push too hard if your lower back is feeling sore. “These moves are pretty gentle to the lower back, but as always, it’s important to pay attention to the messages your body is sending you,” she says. As long as you keep that in mind while you do these moves, you’ll reap the rewards in the form of better posture and movement.
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