Lower Back Pain & Core Strength Exercises

Lower back pain is a condition that will be experienced by almost everyone at some point in their life. While lower back pain can be brought on by a number of reasons, one common reason involves weak or imbalanced muscles in the region of the body known as the "core." The core involves the muscles of the lower back, abdominals and obliques, and where there is weakness in one area, the other surrounding muscles must increase their workload to carry the slack, potentially resulting in the development of lower back pain.

Pillar Bridges

• One core exercise that can help to strengthen the muscles of the torso is the pillar bridge. This exercise comes courtesy of certified trainer Mike Robertson. To perform a pillar bridge, get down on the ground in a semi-push-up position--with your legs together, body held in a straight line and only your toes and forearms in contact with the ground. Brace your abdominal muscles to keep your body in line, being sure to keep your head in a neutral alignment (chin tucked in, looking at the floor). Hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds. Once you can hold the position for 60 seconds easily, increase the difficulty by placing a dumbbell on your upper back, steadily increasing the weight as your core strength increases.

Plate-Loaded Front Squat

• Another easy exercise to perform to improve your core strength is the plate-loaded front squat. To perform this, grab a weight plate or light dumbbell (start with around 25 pounds) and hold it out in front of your body at shoulder height with your arms locked. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart with your toes pointed forward or slightly out and squat down (while keeping your heels on the floor) as low as you can before reversing and standing back up. Brace your abs throughout the movement to keep your body properly aligned, and keep your head and chest held high. Perform two or three sets of eight to 10 reps.