3 Lumbar Spine Exercises

Many of our daily activities force us into bad posture. Spending long hours leaning forward or sitting can weaken the lumbar region. To counteract this effect, it is important to strengthen this part of the body. With this in mind, we want to share 3 lumbar spine exercises with your arms and legs.

The chairs we use are part of the problem. In order to have a straight back, the hip joint must be bent at a 90° angle and this is not a natural position.

To compensate for and achieve a more open flexion, we tend to slide down in our seats. As a result, we bend over to reach our desks or computers.

This position puts a lot of stress on the lumbar region as it stretches too much and becomes weak. The buttocks have an almost complete lack of exercise during these hours and the muscles begin to atrophy.

And without strong glutes, the entire rest of the structure begins to collapse. Finally, this sequence of events leads to that all-too-frequent low back pain.

Fortunately , there are certain exercises that can strengthen the back and provide relief from discomfort. Below you will find 3 lumbar spine exercises that use your arms and legs.

3 lumbar spine exercises with your arms and legs

Abs, leg muscles and lower back muscles all play an important role in strengthening the lumbar region. To relieve pain, tension, stiffness and lumbar pain, it is important to strengthen the muscles of the abdomen, lower back and legs.

This helps to prevent new injuries to your back. Fortunately, there are very simple exercises that you can do at home without the help of accessories or fitness equipment.

You need to perform specific strengthening exercises for the lumbar region, abdomen and legs three times a week to feel the benefits. It is also important to perform them with the right attitude and regularity to experience relief.

Note: to perform these exercises it is important to first consult a specialist. He or she will be able to conduct an individualized evaluation.

Alternating Leg and Arm Lifting Exercises

This position requires balance to hold the stretches and keep your back straight. This exercise consists of alternating lifting of one arm and leg.

• To start, get on your knees with your hands flat on the floor, in line with your shoulders.
• Make sure your back is as straight as possible by tightening your abs.
• Then lift one leg off the floor while simultaneously lifting the other arm. Raise both to the height of your torso, as you can see in the photo above.

• For example, if you lift your right leg, you simultaneously lift your left arm and keep your balance. Make sure to stretch your arm and leg as much as possible.
• Hold this position for 5 seconds and repeat with the opposite limbs. You can do 3 sets of 15 reps.

If you have trouble keeping your balance, you can do this exercise in stages. First, raise one arm until it’s parallel to the floor, then raise your leg on the same side. Finally, repeat the exercise on the other side.

Extension exercises for the lumbar region

This exercise helps you stretch the lumbar region, relieving pain, discomfort and inflammation. People with lumbar pain can perform this exercise three times a week.

In fact, these stretches are beneficial even if you are not experiencing any discomfort at the time. In other words, they are a good way to prevent future crises.

• To perform a lumbar extension, you must first lie face down on the floor. You should extend your arms in front of you and extend your legs behind you at the same time. Make sure to keep your legs slightly apart and rest your palms on the floor.
• Then tighten your glutes and the lower part of your back. With the power of this contraction, you lift your legs and your upper body at the same time.

• Now hold this elevated pose for two seconds and then return to your starting position. You can perform three sets of 15 reps.

The cat and the camel

This is one of the most recommended exercises by specialists when it comes to relieving pain in the lumbar region. During this exercise, you increase the range of motion of your dorso-lumbar joints.

• To perform this exercise, first place your hands and knees on the floor and keep your back straight. The idea then is to work gradually from maximum flexion to extension of the lumbar region. To do this, you need to bend your back up and then bend your neck down (camel).

• Next, you need to arch your back down with your neck stretched up (cat).
• Hold each of these poses for 5 seconds and perform three sets of 15 reps each.

Your lower back is sure to benefit from these simple lumbar spine exercises you can do at home. Not only that, your overall health will also benefit. So what are you waiting for?