Low Back Pain Exercises

By AGE2B team

May 8, 2021

Regular low back pain exercises can restore the strength in your low back and allow a gradual return to your activities. If you’ve recently had surgery on your lower back, your surgeon or your physical therapist may recommend that you do exercise for back pain for about 10 minutes one to three times a day, gradually increasing to 30 minutes each time. Some of the exercises that follow may be suggested. This guide may be helpful for you to use in your routine, under the supervision of your surgeon and your therapist. Check with your doctor before beginning any program of exercise for back pain.

Initial Exercise for Back Pain

Your initial exercise for back pain will probably begin with those that cause minimal movement in the low back.

Ankle Pump

Lie down on the floor or on your bed, on your back.
Point the toes of both feet away from you, hold briefly
Now, pull the toes of both feet toward your head. Hold briefly.
Repeat 10 times in both directions.

Heel Slide

Lie down on the floor or on your bed on your back.
Place a small pillow or rolled towel under your low back for support
Slowly bend your right leg at the knee, sliding your right heel up toward your buttocks
Now straighten your right leg, sliding the heel back down until your leg is straight
Repeat this low back pain exercises 10 times
Repeat the activity with your left leg

Abdominal Contraction

Lie on your back on the floor or on your bed
Place your hands together just below your ribs
Bend your legs at the knees
Without holding your breath, tighten your abdominal muscles
Squeeze your ribs downward and inward toward your back
Hold this tension for a count of 5
Relax for a count of 5
Repeat 10 times

Wall Squats

Stand up straight placing the back of your shoulders and buttocks up against a flat surface, like a wall
Place your feet about 12 inches in front of the wall
Tense your abdominal muscles and slowly bend your legs at your knees, sliding your back down the wall until your legs are bent at approximately 45 degrees
Hold this position, counting to 5 slowly
Slowly slide your back up again to the standing position, unbending your legs from your knees
Rest briefly
Repeat these low back pain exercises10 times

Heel Raises

Stand up straight with your weight evenly distributed on both feet
Slowly raise up on your toes
Lower your body back down
Repeat the low back pain exercise 10 times

Straight Leg Raises

Lie on your back on the floor or on your bed
Bend your right leg at the knee and keep your left leg straight
Tense your abdominal muscles. This will stabilize the muscles of your back.
Slowly lift your left leg straight up, about 6 or 12 inches off the floor or the bed
Hold this position for a count of 5, then slowly lower your leg
Repeat this low back pain exercises 10 times
Repeat the exercise, changing the position of your legs and lifting your right leg

Intermediate Exercise for Back Pain

The intermediate low back pain exercises include the hamstring stretch, single knee to chest, lumbar stabilization low back pain exercises with a Swiss ball, and other exercises that further increase the flexibility and strength of the core muscles.

Single Knee to Chest Stretch

Lie on your back on the floor or on your bed.
Bend both of your legs at the knees
Holding your right thigh behind the knee, bring your right knee up toward your chest
Hold this position for a count of 20
Relax
Repeat with your left leg
Repeat these low back pain exercises 5 times for each leg

Hamstring Stretch

To begin these low back pain exercises, lie on your back on the floor or on your bed
Bend both of your legs at the knees
Holding your left thigh behind your knee, slowly straighten your left leg until you can feel a stretching behind your thigh
Hold this position for a count of 20
Relax
Repeat with your right leg
Repeat these low back pain exercises 5 times for each leg

Lumbar Stabilization Exercises With Swiss Ball

When performing low back pain exercises with an exercise ball, your abdominal muscles must stay tensed throughout the exercises to provide support for your back. Each of these exercises should be completed for one minute. The farther away from your body the ball is positioned, the more difficult the exercise for back pain will be to complete.

Lying on the floor

Lie on your back. Bend your knees and let your calves rest on the exercise ball
Tense your abdominal muscles
Raise and lower one arm at a time slowly over your head, alternating sides
Keeping your abdominal muscles tense, slowly raise your right arm over your head and straighten your left leg
Lower your right arm and place your left leg back on the ball
Keeping your abdominal muscles tense, slowly raise your left arm over your head and straighten your right leg
Lower your left arm and place your right leg back on the ball
Repeat these low back pain exercises for one minute, then rest for one minute before moving on to the next part of the low back pain exercises
Keeping your abdominal muscles tense, slowly roll the ball backward and forward with your calves for one minute

Sitting on a Ball

Sit down on the ball with your hips and your knees fully on the ball.
Your knees and hips should be at a 90-degree angle and your feet should be resting firmly on the floor
Tense your abdominal muscles
Raise your left arm slowly over your head and then lower it
Raise your right arm slowly over your head and then lower it
Keeping your abdominal muscles tensed, continue this activity for one minute, alternating sides

Rest briefly before continuing the next low back pain exercises:

Keeping your abdominal muscles tensed, slowly raise your right heel and then lower it
Slowly raise your left heel and then lower it
Keeping your abdominal muscles tensed, continue this activity for one minute, alternating sides

Rest briefly before continuing the next low back pain exercises:

Keeping your abdominal muscles tensed, slowly raise your left heel and your right arm, then lower them
Slowly raise your right heel and your left arm, then lower them
Keeping your abdominal muscles tensed, continue this activity for one minute, then rest

The next low back pain exercises are marching:

Keeping your abdominal muscles tensed, slowly raise your right heel about 2 inches off the floor and lower it
Slowly raise your left heel about 2 inches off the floor and lower it
Continue these marching low back pain exercises for one minute, alternating sides

Standing

To begin these low back pain exercises, stand up straight, tensing your abdominal muscles, position the exercise ball between a wall and your lower back
Slowly bend your knees to a 45 to 90-degree angle. Hold this position, keeping your abdominal muscles tense, for a count of 5
Stand up
Slowly bend your knees to a 45 to 90-degree angle and raise your arms above your head, keeping your abdominal muscles tense.
Hold this position for a count of 5
Stand up
Repeat these low back pain exercises from the beginning for one minute

Lying on the ball

To begin these low back pain exercises, lie over the ball on your abdomen
Keeping your abdominal muscles tensed, slowly raise first your right arm, then your left up over your head.
Continue these low back pain exercises for one minute, alternating arms

Rest briefly before continuing with the next low back pain exercises:

Keeping your abdominal muscles tensed, slowly raise first your right leg, then your left leg 2 -4 inches off the floor
Continue this activity for one minute, alternating legs

Rest briefly before continuing with the next low back pain exercises:

Keeping your abdominal muscles tensed, slowly raise your right arm up over your head and your left leg 2-4 inches off the floor
Keeping your abdominal muscles tensed, slowly raise your left arm up over your head and your right leg 2-4 inches off the floor
Continue these low back pain exercises for one minute, alternating sides

Rest briefly before moving on to the next low back pain exercises:

Keeping your abdominal muscles tensed, bend your right leg at the knee. Slowly lift your right leg up, then lower it
Keeping your abdominal muscles tensed, bend your left leg at the knee. Slowly lift your left leg up, then lower it.
Continue these low back pain exercises for one minute.

NOTE: While doing low back pain exercises on your abdomen, do not arch your lower back!

Advanced Exercise for Back Pain

Hip Flexor Stretch

To begin these low back pain exercises, lie down on your bed, near the edge of the bed
Bring both of your knees up to your chest, tensing your abdominal muscles
Slowly lower the leg that is nearest the edge of the bed down over the side of the bed until you feel a gentle stretch in the top part of your thigh and your hip
Hold this tension for a count of 10-20
Relax
Repeat 5 times
Change positions so you can complete the low back pain exercise 5 times for the opposite leg

Piriformis Stretch

To begin these low back pain exercises, lie on your back on the floor or on your bed
Tense your abdominal muscles and bend both of your legs at the knees
Cross your right leg over your left leg
Use your hands to pull your left knee toward your chest until you feel a gentle stretch in your hip area and your buttocks
Keeping your abdominal muscles tense, hold this tension for a count of 15-20
Relax
Change the position of your legs and repeat
Repeat the low back pain exercise 5 times for each leg

Aerobic Exercises

It’s important to keep your spine in a neutral position while doing aerobic low back pain exercises. Stabilize your low back by keeping your abdominal muscles tense. With your doctor’s permission, as low back pain exercises, try riding a stationary bicycle or walking on a treadmill (no incline) for 20 or 30 minutes.