By Miguel J. Ortiz
If you wouldn’t buy a house with a weak foundation, why would you try building on top of one?
I see people all the time with weak or chronic lower back pain trying to do strength training. It is important, but if you avoid working on your foundation you’ll only cause more issues down the road. You might be thinking, well the foundation is your core. Wrong, your foundation is made up of your hips, and if your hips aren’t aligned or moving well then it will absolutely mess with your lower back, which involves your core. The stronger and more mobile the hips, the better the “house” will be on which it stands. So, let’s dive into some exercises that will ensure a stronger and more mobile foundation.
Our first movement involves more mobility to ensure we lengthen before we strengthen. I recommend the 90/90 Hip stretch. (3×12 total) be done by using your hands on the ground with assistance, especially if your already pretty tight in your back. We’re attacking the hips directly by simultaneous stretching the hip flexors, adductors and glutes with a bonus rotation to provide lower back relief.
The second movement also provides added mobility for the hips and preps the back for proper strength, the half kneeling cat cow (3x5each). This exercise is fantastic for prepping the back before taking on a load, like squats, carrying or upper body movements. The split position will allow you to open up the hips and realize how much you might favor one side over the other. Creating appropriate balance and symmetry within your hips will tremendously help with the ability to control alignment during strength training. Remember, if your exercises create any compensatory patterns during lifts, it will constantly affect your lower back. So, these first two mobility exercises are a great way to get aligned before going into other strength training and core movements.
The last exercise is essential for a proper mind-muscle connection. Although it looks like a simple movement, it’s the way you do it that makes the the floor glute bridge (3×15 reps) difficult. Without proper glute activation, which is the foundation of the “house” or core, your back will constantly be in compromised positions. This exercise is meant to be done as slow as possible and pushed to its fullest range of motion. On the way down or during the eccentric part of the movement is where the magic happens. At the highest part of the motion, this should not be felt in your lower back, if it is then you can tell that your glutes aren’t being activated appropriately. While you lower your hips to the floor, the goal is to have one vertebra touch the ground at a time. This will force you to relax the glutes and start activating your core. This core activation practice will give you the proper strength and confidence needed to perform other movements. It will have your lower back pain free in no time.
I recommend doing these exercises daily until lower back pain is relieved. Have fun with your movements and continue to stay active.
