How Can You Strengthen the Lower Back?

Stretching

Flexibility can be vital when it comes to lower back pain prevention. Since stretching helps improve the flexibility in the muscles groups located near the lower back, this can help reduce the stress the spine feels from strenuous activity.
Attention: Consult a doctor before you begin any type of exercise or lower back strengthen movements to ensure there isn't any other underlying cause for the pain. When starting out, go slowly and remember to breathe. You'll want to keep your focus on the muscles so that when you stretch, you are not causing yourself pain. 

How to strengthen lower back can be easily achieved by the following stretches:

• Pelvic tilt. Begin by lying on your back and bringing your legs up so your knees are bent with the feet flat on the floor. Keep your arms at your side while you press the base of the spine into the floor. Tilt the hips upwards and hold for a few seconds before relaxing. Repeat this stretch up to ten times.

• Knee to chest. Begin by laying on your back and bringing your legs up so your knees are bent with the feet flat on the floor. With your hands cupped under the knees, pull the knees towards the chest and hold for a few seconds. Slowly lower the knees back done before repeating up to ten times.

• Side stretches. Stand with one arm over your head. Bend the body to the opposite side of the arm with the other hand resting at the waist. This stretch should flow with no twisting or jerking of the body. Hold in the bent position for a few seconds before standing straight up again. Repeat this movement on the other side. This stretch should be done up to ten times on both sides.

• Back bend. How to strengthen your back can be effectively done by performing a back arch. Here you stand with the feet just shoulder width apart. The palms of the hands should rest on the lower back region. Begin to slowly bend backward, remembering to breathe and support your back with your hands. The knees should remain straight and you should hold the stretch for a few seconds. Repeat this stretch up to ten times.

Exercising

• Stomach crunches are one of the best exercises you can do to help strengthen the lower back muscles.

• The cat camel pose will also relieve back pain and increase flexibility. To do this exercise, start with your hands and knees on the floor. Your neck should be parallel with the floor. Round the back up while squeezing the ab muscles and gluts. Allow the head to drop, but keep your arms straight and the weight evenly distributed among you limbs. Hold this pose for a few seconds before slowly lowering the back down to towards the floor. Repeat this exercise up to ten times.

• Wall squats help strengthen your core which can relieve excess pain in the lower back. Begin by standing with your back against the wall. Your feet should be about a foot from the wall. Slowly bend the knees at you tighten the ab muscles while sliding down the wall. Hold this pose for a few seconds before slowly coming back up to the starting position. Repeat this exercise up to ten times.

• How to strengthen lower back can also be done with straight leg raises exercise. Begin by laying on your back, one leg should be straight out on the floor while the other should be bent at the knee. Lift the straight leg up about a foot off the ground while tightening the abs. Hold the leg in this pose for a few seconds before lowering the leg back down slowly. Repeat this exercise up to ten times and repeat on the other leg.

• Swimming for at least 20 minutes and up to thirty minutes at least three days a week. Utilize the crawl and backstroke to help strengthen the entire back. Swimming also helps improve lung and heart and is highly recommended for those with joint pain and are overweight. When beginning to incorporate swimming to reduce lower back pain, start off with just ten minutes and then add on five minutes every week or two. 

Change in Lifestyle

• Limit how much you sit. The lower back muscles will begin to weaken over time when you sit for extended periods of time. Those who sit for eight or more hours a day decrease their lifespan as well.  If you can try, not to sit for more than thirty minutes at a time. Get up and walk around if you are at work or consider investing in a sit/stand desk for your office. This type of desk has adjustable settings that allow you to raise or lower it so that you can alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day. If it is not possible to walk, get up and walk every thirty minutes at least and limit the time you are sitting to no more than five hours straight.

• Use a pedometer. How to strengthen lower back can be done when you take at least 10,000 steps a day which is actually a healthy level of activity. Walking this many steps a day may be a challenge for some, so try to incorporate ten-minute walk breaks into your day during lunchtime or around dinner time. Increase this time so that eventually you are walking for at least thirty minutes a day.

• Increase your vitamin D and K2. Vitamin D and K2 can help prevent the softening of the bones. When the bones begin to soften, this can cause lower back pain. 

• Drink more water. Ensuring that you keep your body properly hydrated can help improve the functions of the intervertebral disks. Since the body is made up of mostly water, it is vital to stay hydrated to avoid feeling stiff.

• Quit smoking. The blood flowing to the spine is greatly reduced when you smoke. Smoking also increases the degeneration of the spinal disks.

• Sleep. Those who do not get enough sleep tend to have an increase in lower back pain and how you sleep can also add to the pain. If you sleep on your side, you can reduce the curvature of the spine. Also get in a good stretch before bed and try to sleep on a firmer mattress.