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If you suffer from low back pain, you're not alone. According to a study published in The Lancet Rheumatology, low back pain remains the leading cause of disability globally, impacting 619 million individuals. That number is expected to rise to 843 million by 2050!

As someone who once suffered from chronic back pain myself, I always make sure to include exercises that target the low back into my own strength-training routine. It may seem counterintuitive to work an area that is bothering you, but taking the time to strengthen the low back now, can help prevent pain later. Here’s how to do it. (As always, be sure to get the OK from your doctor before starting any exercise routine!)

What are the lower-back muscles?

The lower-back muscles, also known as the lumbar muscles, provide stability, support and movement to your spine. There are several key muscles in the lower-back region, including:

• The erector spinae muscles are the largest muscles in the lower back. They run along the sides of the spine and help to maintain an upright posture and extend the spine. These muscles are engaged when you stand straight or lean backward.
• The quadratus lumborum muscles are located on both sides of the lower back, connecting the pelvis to the lower spine. They assist in bending to the side, rotating the trunk and stabilizing the spine during movements like lifting or twisting.
• The multifidus muscles are deep muscles that run along the spine, providing stability and support. They play a crucial role in maintaining proper spinal alignment and controlling small movements of the individual vertebrae.

Like any muscle, unless we actively work the muscles of the low back, they will weaken over time. It’s not uncommon for someone to pull a muscle in this area due to muscle imbalances —even when doing seemingly simple movements like bending down to pick something up. That’s why it’s crucial to strengthen both your low back muscles and your core to prevent injury.

Lower-back workout: 17 exercises to strengthen the low back

These exercises will strengthen the low back — add a few to your current strength-training routine or string them all together for a low back focused workout. 

Windshield wipers 

Lie on your back with your arms straight out at your sides in a “T” position for stabilization. Lift your legs up, first with knees bent in a tabletop position, and then straightening your legs toward the sky, engaging the core. Using your abs to control the movement, slowly lower your legs to the right hovering a few inches off of the floor. When your feet get close to the floor, reverse the movement of your legs, moving them back through center and down to the left side of your body. One movement of the legs from the right to the left completes one rep. Repeat 10 times.  

Child’s pose

Come on to all fours and then sit back on your heels with your ankles under your butt. Make sure your back is straight. Keep your knees together and begin walking your hands forward. Keep the arms straight and reach your fingertips toward the front of the room. Stop when you feel a slight stretch in your arms, back and quads. Rest your torso on your quads, and if you are flexible enough, touch your forehead to the ground. Hold here, breathing deeply. Remember to lift your butt in the air and reset if you’re struggling with the stretch.

Upward facing dog

Lie on the ground with your hands next to your chest as if you just lowered to the ground from a pushup. Pull your abs in, press the tops of your feet into the ground, and press your hands into the ground as you lift your head, neck and chest up into upward facing dog. Roll the shoulders back and take a deep breath in, then exhale and lower down. Repeat 10 times.

Downward facing dog

Start in a plank position with your shoulders over your wrists. Pull your navel in toward your spine and reach your butt up toward the ceiling. Form a “V” with your body with your heels reaching down toward the ground. (It’s OK if they are off of the ground.) Come forward into plank position, and repeat 10 times.

Marching bridge

Lying on your back, bend your knees and open your feet as wide as your hips. Relax the arms by your sides. Pull the navel in toward the spine as if you’re zipping into a tight pair of pants. Slowly roll the hips, then low back, then mid-back up off the ground. Press down through the feet, then lift the right foot off the ground as if you’re beginning to march. Return the right foot to the ground and then lift your left foot. Keep the hips steady as you lift each foot off the ground. You can place your hands on your hips to ensure that they are staying stationary. March 5 times per foot.

V-sit

Seated on a mat, engage your core muscles and gently lean back a couple of inches. Slowly lift your legs up in the air so that are in a table-top position. Reach your arms straight out in front of you so that they are parallel with the mat. Keeping your core engaged, extend the legs straight up to a 45-degree angle, forming a “V” shape with your body. If you feel balanced here, attempt reaching your arms up toward the ceiling. You always have the option to leave them straight out in front of you. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Keep the shoulders relaxed, abs pulled in and the inner thighs squeezing together.

Superman

This exercise engages the entire back of the body, from the upper back to the bottom of the legs. Lifting up into this position teaches the back to work together in tandem, with the shoulders lifting the arms and the glutes, hamstrings and muscles of the back working to lift the legs. Lie on your stomach and reach the arms forward and legs back. Open the legs as wide as the hips and the arms as wide as the shoulders. Pull the belly button in, away from the ground, to engage the abs. Relax the shoulders as you reach the arms up off the ground and squeeze the quads as you lift the legs off the ground. Avoid putting too much pressure on the low back by ensuring that the abdominals stay contracted. All the muscles in the back of the body will be engaged, from the calves up to the upper back muscles. 

Swimmers

This exercise trains the back of the body to work in opposition to improve balance, spinal strength and mobility. Similar to the superman exercise, you’ll start by lying down on your stomach. This time, instead of reaching up both arms and legs simultaneously, you’ll lift the right arm and the left leg off the ground, and then alternate. Be sure to pull the abs in the entire time. Perform 10 repetitions on each side. 

Good mornings

Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and hands behind your head. Add a slight bend to your knees, tucking your pelvis under and engaging your core. Keeping your back straight, hinge at the hips, lowering your torso toward the floor. Slowly lower down until your upper body is parallel with the floor, pause, and then return back to the starting position. Repeat for 10 repetitions.

Bird dog

Begin in a tabletop position with hands and knees on the floor. Engage your core and try to keep your hips stable as you extend your opposite arm and opposite leg out. Pause for a few seconds, maintaining your balance. Return back to the starting position. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg. Continue alternating for 10 repetitions on each side.

Glute bridge

Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and knees bent. Engage your core, pressing your low back into the ground. Then, slowly curl your back off the ground driving your hips toward the sky. Do not hyperextend your back by lifting up too high. Stop when your hips have created a straight line from your knees to your upper back. Hold the position, then slowly lower back down to the starting position. Repeat for 10 repetitions.

Forearm plank

Start on your hands and knees on the mat. Line your shoulders up over your wrists. Come down on to your forearms and walk your knees back a few inches. Pull your navel in toward your spine, tuck your toes under and lift your legs up off of the ground. Squeeze your quads and reach your heels toward the back of the room. If you have a mirror, check yourself out to ensure that you’re in one straight line! Engage your core, maintaining a straight back. Hold the position for 30 seconds. Rest, then repeat.

Bodyweight renegade rows

Start in a high-plank position. Engage your core before raising one of your hands off of the ground, pulling your hand up to your shoulder and hugging your elbow in toward your side to engage your upper back. Return to the starting position, then repeat the movement with the other arm. Complete 10 repetitions on each arm.

Cat cow

Start on your hands and knees with your hands flat on the ground below your shoulders and knees directly below your hips. Move into cow by breathing in, dropping your stomach toward the floor and looking up toward the ceiling, arching your back. Exhale as your move into cat pose, pulling your belly button toward your spine and rounding your back up toward the ceiling. Let your head drop toward the ground. Repeat 10 times.

Pilates half roll down

Seated on the ground, bend your knees. (For a more advanced exercise, straighten your legs.) Then, reach your arms out in front of you with the shoulders relaxed. Pull the navel in toward the spine and slowly roll down onto your low back. Pause and then slowly roll back up to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.

Side forearm plank

From a forearm plank position, turn your body to the left, balancing your weight on your right forearm and the edge of the right foot. Reach your left arm up into air, keeping the elbow bent. Stack your left foot on top of the right and pull your right side up away from the ground to work the entire right side of your body. Come back to forearm plank and repeat on the other side. Continue alternating sides, performing 10 repetitions on each side.

Cobra

Lie face down on a yoga mat. Place both palms flat on the mat directly beneath your shoulders. Add a bend to your elbows, keeping them tucked into your sides. Inhale, then raise your chest off the mat as you exhale. Roll your shoulders back, keeping your neck neutral. Maintain the position for up to 30 seconds.

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