Lower Back Exercises: Pelvic Tilt

Series Summary

Even after visits to doctors and chiropractors, your back pain continues to bother you. Perhaps the time has come to take the responsibility for the cure into your own hands, trying out the effectiveness of simple stretches and exercises that could very well work better than the pills and adjustments that you had previously placed your faith in. And why not give these exercises a try? They are free and could turn out to be just what you're looking for if you give them a chance.

In this free video series, our expert will show you how to perform a variety of lower back exercises designed to strengthen your lower back muscles, increasing flexibility and reducing back pain. You will learn how to do a variety of exercises including the cat roll, quadruped extensions and prone push ups. You will also learn how to do a variety of swan lifts, leg kicks and land swimming lower back exercises. Finally, get tips for stretching and twisting the spine to reduce lower back pain. If you want to strengthen your lower back, let our expert fitness trainer teach you everything you need to keep your back feeling great.

Video Transcript

"Low back injuries are one of the top 5 debilitating injuries with Americans, and we're going to work today with strengthening the lower back which is part of core strength. Start out by finding your neutral pelvic posture, so it's not a severe posterior tilt forward or anterior, but somewhere in between. If you take your fingers above your hip bones and make a little triangle, you should be able to sit upright on your hip bones, and that should be pelvic, neutral pelvic posture. Once you've got that down pat, we're going to keep that as we lower down and focus just in on the lower half of the rectus abdominus. So feet hip-width apart, squirm right under your knees, and then as you begin to bridge and lift, maintain neutral pelvic posture. You want to come slightly forward and no higher than the shoulder blades. Breathe throughout and release. Always let your spine take a moment to melt into the floor or the mat, whatever surface you're working on, and then again, take in a deep breath. Inhale and lift, and try not to let the hips move, but just maintain that neutral pelvic posture on the way up and on the way down, articulating as much of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae as you can. As you get stronger you'll be able to hold the pose for longer, just make sure that you don't hold your breath."