- Many exercises will strengthen your lower back. Start with two sets of 10 repetitions two days a week until you develop enough strength to do more. Work up to three days a week doing either three sets of 10 harder exercises or two sets of 20 easy to moderate exercises. Try exercises like back extensions, cobras, supermans, swimmers, and ball back extensions. To do back extensions, lie face down on an exercise mat. Put your hands behind your head. Squeeze your abs and glutes (buttocks muscles) and lift your upper body off the mat. Keep your legs relaxed on the mat. Exhale as you lift. Inhale and slowly lower yourself back to the mat.
- Yoga classes have lots of good poses to stretch the low back. Downward facing dog, the plow, and standing forward fold are just a few. There are also some simple exercises you can do without yoga training. Lying on your back and pulling your knees to your chest is a great low back stretch. Lying face up on a stability ball with your low back in the middle and your feet on the floor is another good low back stretch. You should stretch your low back daily, especially after exercise.
- Strong abdominal muscles will work with the back to stabilize your torso and prevent injuries. Do three days a week of a variety of ab exercises to strengthen all your abdominal muscles--rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus and obliques. Exercises to consider include side bends, side crunches, bicycle crunches, planks, ball roll outs, T-stands, crunches with rotation, and scissors. By working different exercises like these on different days you'll have a well-rounded abdominal exercise program that will support the low back.
