Struggle with a stiff lower back?

Roughly around 80% of the population will experience some sort of lower back pain in their life. With those who lift weights a common injury that occurs is lower back strains.

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There is not one exercise or common fix for lower back pain but there are protocols that you can do to help decrease pain and stiffness. Looking at lifestyle habits and daily movements can be the first protocol but also addressing any strength deficits in your movements can help with decreasing unnecessary loading and pain in that area.

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Ensuring that you get movement into your spine by doing things such as cat cows, glute bridges, pelvic tilts or any side bending depending on where you are in your fitness journey will depend on the loading amount or exercise that you choose

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Incorporating strength exercises such as deadlifts, side planks, hip thrusts, balance and speed exercises can also help in improving overall function. With the movements we want to ensure we increase load (weight) overtime to improve tendon stiffness and muscle strength and size.

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If you currently have a movement such as leaning forward that increases pain then hold off doing those movements loaded in the gym for now and build on strengthening surrounding muscles and movements first then slowly introduce the movement over time

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Is back pain due to a weak core and glutes?

The answer to this is it depends, for some people it could be the factor of weak core and glutes but crunches aren't going to be the be all end all fix. Your core includes muscles such as the lats a diaphragm. So ensuring full expansion of your diaphragm in heavier movements or core exercises or including the lats by creating full body tension in glute or side plank exercises.

Sometimes this can be due to lack of stability into the hips, so incorporating exercises to help create engagement in the surrounding muscles can help take the load off the overworked muscle (lower back)

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Also look on a whole how your daily life is, if you are constantly sitting all the time how can you do movements in day to day life where you can get yourself into the opposite position, stress levels, autoimmune disease, hormone fluctuations play a roll.

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So become a detective with your body, move in ways you don't usually and get strong!

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You can't avoid a back injury but you can decrease the risk or learn how to come back from it faster

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The Key is to move, adapt adjust and progress

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Try the Cat cow to get your spine moving!

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