Strengthening exercises are very helpful in building up the endurance, strength and stability of the muscles in our hips and low back. Try the following exercise. Make sure you start them slowly. Remember to keep breathing throughout the exercise. Listen to your body on how much you can perform each time. When your muscles become stronger over time, you can challenge yourself by increasing the duration of muscle contraction or the number of repetitions. Consult your physiotherapist if you have problems performing them, or if you want to find out the exercise that suits your condition best.
5 Simple Exercises for Back Strengthening
Glute bridge. Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. and your heels on the floor. Place your arms down by the sides of the body with the palms of the hands facing upward. Squeeze your buttocks. Lift your hips off the floor until shoulders, hips, and knees are in a straight line. Hold about 8-10 seconds, and then slowly lower hips to the floor and rest for 10 seconds. Repeat 5 to 8 times. Avoid overarching your lower back by tightening your abdominal muscles prior and throughout the lift. Repeat the steps above 5–8 times.
Bird-Dog. Start on all fours, with the shoulders directly over the hands and the hips directly over the knees. Tighten up the abdominal muscles and stretch the right arm straight out in front of the body. Hold the position while staying balanced. Then slowly lift the left leg and extend it out behind the body. Hold the position for 15 -20 seconds. Keep breathing throughout the exercise. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side. Repeat 5-10 times.
Plank. Lie on the stomach with the forearms against the floor and the elbows directly under the shoulders. Tighten up the abdominal and gluteal muscles. Lift the hips and both knees off the floor. Hold the position for 15–30 seconds while keeping the pelvis and spine in neutral position without sagging or bending towards the floor. Repeat 5-10 times. For beginners, you can try an easier version by bending your knees slightly and keeping them on the ground.
Side Plank. Lie on your right side with the right leg slightly bent and the left leg straight with the foot on the floor. Place your right arm directly beneath the right shoulder with the forearm extended out in front. Contract the abdominal muscles, lift the right hip off the floor. Then lift the right knee off the floor to keep the right leg straight. Stack the feet on top of each other. Keep the body straight and hold the position for 10–30 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Do 5-10 repetitions on each side. For beginners, you can try an easier version by keeping the bottom knee slightly bent and on the ground.
Aerobic Exercise. Aerobic exercise improves the functions of your lungs, heart and blood vessels. They can also strengthen the muscles in our body and help you lose weight. Choose an aerobic exercise that you like and stick with it, such as walking, swimming, cycling and jogging. Start with short sessions and build up gradually over time.
