These 8 Exercises Can Prevent and Ease Low Back Pain

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If humankind has a common enemy, it might be lower back pain. It’s a leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. It affects up to 85 percent of Americans at some point in their life, reports the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Even if you’re taking all the right steps — exercising regularly, using a standing desk at work, and taking stretch breaks — there’s still a good chance that lower back pain creeps in from time to time.

In a time when we’ve made virtual reality strength training a reality, it may seem ridiculous that we haven’t managed to solve the lower back pain problem — but here we are. Luckily, there are exercises you can do to relieve lower back pain, and prevent it from cropping up in the future. But before we get into that, here’s a quick primer about what causes low back pain.

What Causes Low Back Pain?

“Low back pain can be caused by a number of issues, from acute and temporary like a muscle strain, to long-term chronic conditions like a herniated disc,” says Lauren Shroyer, the American Council on Exercise’s vice president of Product and Innovation.

Most low back pain falls into the category of “non-specific,” which means it can’t be directly explained by a specific disease (such as cancer), injury, or organ. That means by its very definition, it’s difficult to say what causes low back pain. Imbalances or pain in nearby areas, such as your hips or pelvis, can lead to lower back pain, reports Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. Lifestyle can also likely lead to pain; there’s some evidence that excessive sitting can compress the spine, leading to pain, according to UCLA Health.

Regardless of what causes it initially, lower back pain can unfortunately become chronic, which significantly and negatively impacts our day-to-day life. If you suffer from lower back pain, Shroyer recommends performing several key exercises a few times a week.

The Best Exercises For Low Back Pain

We’re including two sets of exercises for lower back pain — one to help prevent lower back pain, and one that you can do when you’re feeling lower back pain to ease it and keep it from coming back.

The first list of preventive exercises can help strengthen your lower back, with the goal of improving mobility and posture so that you avoid sitting, slumping, or slouching into positions that put unnecessary stress on the lower back. The second round of exercises are stretches to help ease lower back pain without aggravating the area.

Of course, it’s always important to check with a doctor or physical therapist before starting a new exercise routine, and that’s especially true when you’re already feeling pain. So make sure to do your due diligence before swiping through.