Did you know back pain is one of the most common types of pain you will find in western developed nations? In America alone, about a ⅓ of Americans suffer low back pain. That is a ton of people!

As concerning as it is, it is not deemed unexpected when you take a look at America and our daily habits. Nowadays, Americans spend extensive amounts of time sitting and doing tasks like driving to work, sitting at a desk, watching movies on the couch, etc. We spend so much time sitting… and when you sit, you disengage your core muscles. Your spine is made up of so many joints, but these clusters of joints do not support themselves. What do you think supports the spine? The core!

The problem is that most people don’t know how to correctly stabilize their core. They attempt to strengthen their abs by doing core exercises, but instead end up solely using their hip flexors. This usually ends up making your back pain worse because you’re overworking your already tight hip flexor muscles. The majority of people’s back pain is not because they are injured; the back may not even be the real problem. The problem is often related to a weakened core.  

So, we’re going to talk about a few simple daily habits and correctional exercises you can start implementing to ease your back pain.

Daily habits that will help the most common causes of back pain include:

• Watch your posture: Make sure you are not letting your spine fall into a “c” position while you sit. This disengages your core muscles and forces you to sit with an anterior pelvic tilt (shortening the hip flexors).
• Do mobility exercises: When you are constantly in a shortened position at your hips and allowing your back to curve, your muscles in your hips and back will become extremely tight. Working on your hip mobility will release the tension in your psoas muscle and lower back.
• Lift weights: Another important reason people experience back pain is because they cannot squat. Learning to squat properly is essential for a healthy back because it helps you remain in a strong, tall posture while keeping your spine stabilized. Generally, strength training will improve your muscular strength and flexibility of the spine.
• Engage in low stress activities. Pain in the body can be just as psychological as it is physical. Make sure you are taking time out of your days to lower your stress levels and give yourself a break.

Now, here are a few correctional exercises that will help alleviate back and hip pain. These movements will also help you learn to properly engage your core. This is extremely important as this will help keep your spine stabilized and functional. Now, go give these a try! 

1. Hip Bridges: How To Fix “Low Back” Pain

2. Bird Dog: Try This For Managing Acute and Chronic Back Pain

3. Dead Bug: 3 Exercises To Decrease Lower Back Pain

4. Banded Dead Bug (Modification): 3 Exercises To Decrease Lower Back Pain