Dr. Abdullah Khan

If you are suffering from back pain, you should know that the tiniest of movements can trigger the same. Back pain may occur due to several factors or reasons and it hampers your daily activities and standards of life to a great extent. However, you need to become active instead of being immobile for relieving back pain. There are several exercises which help in strengthening your back muscles and performing these on a regular basis will provide you relief from back pain drastically. Here are 6 common  exercises which you should carry out:

1. Pelvic tilt: You have to lie on your back and keep your knees bend, but touching. Your feet should stay flat on the floor. By flattening your lower back against the wall and tilting your pelvis downwards, you must maintain the position for 20 to 40 seconds. Meanwhile, you must breathe slowly and deeply and then release. This stretch requires small movements for reducing tension, thereby easing your back pain.

2. Lumbar stretch: You need to sit on a chair, roll your head, chest, neck and lower back forward till your head gets between the knees. Hold the position and take deep breaths. Slowly, get back to the sitting position. Repeat this twice.

3. Cat position: You have to kneel on your fours and keep the knees and hip width separate. Keep the stomach muscles tense, arch your back like a cat does and maintain the position for five seconds. Repeat this and then allow your stomach to drop towards the floor direction and hold it for five seconds again.

4. Curl ups: For this exercise, you should lie on your back with the knees bent and your feet kept flat on the floor. Placing your hands behind the head will make the stomach muscles tense. Then, lift your shoulders, head and upper back from the floor. Do this around 10 times. This is ideal for strengthening your back.

5. Dry swimming: Begin by lying on your stomach, keeping a rolled-up towel under your belly for support. By tightening your buttocks, raise one arm and the opposite leg simultaneously. Switch your arms and legs and perform this for about two minutes.

6. Leg lift: For leg lifts, you should lie on your back with the knees kept bend and the feet kept flat on the floor. You have to press your lower back to the floor and straighten a leg with the knees aligned. After bending your leg, return to the starting position and repeat the exercise on the other side.

7. Cobra stretch: The cobra stretch is another ideal movement for stretching your tight abdominal muscles and lower back. You need to lie on your stomach with your legs extended and your palms planted on the sides of your head. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Pain Management Specialist.