Lower Back Pain: Strength Exercises That Help

Lower back pain (LBP) is one of the most common conditions in medicine and exercise all around the world. It is very rare to find any athlete, gym goer or office worker who has not suffered with some sort of LBP. Whether it is long-standing chronic pain or simply a muscular tweak, LBP can be debilitating and affect our mental health as well as our overall wellness. Getting out of LBP can be a difficult process and a variety of techniques can be used to help manage pain - at NRG we find the McGill big three are best for initial pain. But what do you do once the pain has gone? Here are the exercises we prescribe to patients and clients to help combat and keep lower back pain away.

Hip Extension

This exercise looks terrifying to some from the outset, especially the machine contraption it is completed in. If your gym has a GHR (glute/ham raise) machine then brilliant, in you jump; if not, there are other options. Start by popping your feet into the foot handles at the bottom of the device and place your waist on the padded area, making sure your entire waist and upper body is off the pad. Take your hands off the handles below, then lower your body down so there is a right angle from your legs to the hips and the floor. From here, keeping your abs braced, rise up so you are parallel with the floor, making certain to squeeze the glutes at the top. This helps protect the back while encouraging the muscles of the lower back to contract.

Watch the technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X075Hrl5lE

We suggest 3 sets of 8 reps at the start of your session, or 2 sets of 15 at the end, depending on your session demands. Stay braced throughout and do not allow yourself to hyperextend through the lower back. If you do not have one of these machines, you can use a plyo box instead - crawl across the box so the waist is off the edge, and make sure someone is holding your feet.

Romanian Deadlift

This exercise is a perfect foil for anyone who suffers from LBP alongside stiffness through the lower back and hamstrings. What makes it different to a normal deadlift: the bar does not touch the floor, so you maintain constant tension through the lower back, glutes and hamstrings (if your grip goes, do not be scared to drop the bar). You keep your knees relatively stiff, which increases the stress on the hamstrings rather than the quadriceps. And there is more focus on the lowering (eccentric) portion of the lift, which applies a stretch to the hamstring area and releases tight tissue. Do not believe it? If you are stiff, try to touch your toes before your first set, then try again after - there will be a massive difference.

Watch the movement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u23B9Q94PwU

We suggest using this as an accessory movement, or replacing your deadlift and focusing purely on the RDL.

American Kettlebell Swing

Unlike the usual kettlebell swing you see butchered in commercial gyms, this movement adds an overhead element. That matters because when the kettlebell is overhead you need good glute, trunk and core tension to maintain stability. The key is keeping the kettlebell as close to your body as possible - having it drift away from you is exactly what causes the lower back to ping.

Start with the kettlebell in front of you, grasp the handle by the corners and swing it between your legs. Hinge slightly before squeezing and driving your hips forwards. With your arms, drive your elbows as high as possible, then transition the hands and press above the head. It is not a long-arc swing - it is a pull and a push. This keeps the kettlebell close to the body and allows the body to stabilise beneath the weight.

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdezTMulJ-k

It may take a couple of sessions to get the technique spot on, and it can be worth asking a personal trainer or sports therapist for help. We strongly recommend using these exercises to help prevent pain once you are pain-free - we would not recommend them if you are currently suffering with acute lower back pain or struggle to move due to pain.

Struggling with lower back pain? NRG Sports Therapy is a sports injury clinic in Bloomsbury, Central London. Book an injury assessment and we will build you a plan to get you moving pain-free.