The 3 best exercises for lower back pain

News Hour:

Here are the top three lower back pain exercises we recommend. If you experience pain while doing any of them, stop immediately and seek medical advice.

1. Back extensions

If you’ve ever done yoga, you might know this one as “cobra pose.” Back extensions stretch the spine and can help relieve back pain.

Just lie on your stomach and prop yourself up on your elbows. Try to keep your neck long and shoulders back — this will help lengthen your spine, reports FamilyShare.

Push down on the floor with your hands to push your back up as far as feels comfortable. You’ll also feel a stretch in the stomach muscles. Hold the position for five to 10 seconds while breathing normally. Repeat the exercise 10 times.

2. Abdominal contractions

Lie on your back and bend your knees. Keep your feet hip-width apart. Try to relax your body, especially the neck and shoulders.

When you exhale, draw the muscles of your pelvis and lower abdominals upward. Hold this gentle contraction, but continue to breathe from your abdomen. After five to 10 breaths, relax your muscles. Repeat five times.

You can also try some mild partial crunches for a more intense workout. Just avoid overdoing it with something like sit-ups, so you don’t aggravate your existing back pain.

3. Bridge pose

Bridge pose can do a great job of relieving lower back pain.

Lie on your back with knees bent, your feet hip-width apart. Inhale, and as you exhale, lift your hips off the floor. Try to get your shoulders and knees in a straight line. To avoid overarching, tighten your abdominal muscles during the pose. Lower to the ground as you breathe.

Md. Rafiuzzaman Sifat, a CSE graduate turned into journalist, works at News Hour as a staff reporter. He has many years of experience in featured writing in different Bangladeshi newspapers. He is an active blogger, story writer and social network activist. He published a book named 'Se Amar Gopon' inEkushe boi mela Dhaka 2016. Sifat got a BSc. from Ahsanullah University of Science & Technology, Bangladesh. He also works as an Engineer at Bangla Trac Communications Ltd. As an avid traveler and a gourmet food aficionado, he is active in publishing restaurant reviews and cutting-edge articles about culinary culture.
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