A strong lower back keeps you lifting, running, and living without that constant dull ache. The right lower back strengthening exercises can reduce pain, protect your spine, and help you move with confidence again.
Before you start, keep one guideline in mind: if an exercise increases your pain sharply, stop and talk with a healthcare professional. Discomfort from working muscles is normal. Sharp or shooting pain is not.
Why your lower back needs strength, not just rest
When your lower back hurts, it is tempting to sit more and move less. That usually makes things worse. Your spine relies on a network of muscles in your core, glutes, and hips to support it. If those muscles are weak, your lower back takes more of the load.
Research summarized by Healthline notes that strengthening your core, glutes, and lower back can reduce pain and help prevent injuries by improving muscular support around the spine. In other words, you do not just want relief today. You want a back that can handle the way you train and live for years.
Lower back strengthening exercises also:
- Improve blood flow to tight muscles, which helps them recover faster and stay healthier, as discussed by specialists at Advanced Sports & Spine in Charlotte
- Increase mobility and range of motion in your spine and hips, something athletes rely on for performance and injury recovery
- Reduce your risk of conditions like disc problems and spine degeneration, because a stronger support system takes pressure off your joints and cartilage
Almost 80 percent of adults will injure their back at least once, and nearly two million people suffer a back injury each year. Building strength now is one of the best insurance policies you can give your body.
Warm up safely before you train
You would not load a barbell cold and go straight to a heavy set. Your lower back deserves the same respect. A short warmup wakes up your core, boosts circulation, and helps your muscles handle the work ahead.
Aim for 5 to 8 minutes of easy movement before your lower back strengthening exercises. For example, you can:
- Walk or cycle at a light pace
- Do gentle hip circles and leg swings
- Perform a few bodyweight squats or lunges with a small range of motion
Avoid deep static stretching at the start. Stretching is better after the workout, once muscles are warm, because pre-workout stretching can make you more vulnerable to strain if you push too hard into the stretch.
Core activation moves that protect your spine
You do not have to hammer endless sit ups to train your core. In fact, overdoing crunches can tighten your hip flexors and pull your lumbar spine forward, which may increase pain. Instead, focus on exercises that train your abs and back to support a neutral spine.
Drawing in maneuver
The drawing in maneuver targets your transverse abdominis, a deep core muscle that functions like a built in weightlifting belt around your midsection. When this muscle is strong, it can stabilize your spine during everyday movement and heavy lifts.
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Gently pull your belly button toward your spine, without tilting your pelvis or holding your breath.
- Hold for 5 to 10 seconds, breathing normally.
- Relax and repeat 8 to 10 times.
You can progress this by practicing the same engagement while standing, walking, or lifting. Think of it as bracing lightly before every rep.
Dead bug
Dead bugs are beginner friendly and let you build core strength without loading your spine. They also give your chest a gentle stretch, which feels good if you sit at a desk all day.
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with your hips and knees bent to 90 degrees, arms extended toward the ceiling.
- Brace your core as in the drawing in maneuver so your lower back gently presses into the floor.
- Slowly lower your right arm and left leg toward the floor while keeping your back flat.
- Return to the start and switch sides.
- Perform 8 to 12 controlled reps per side.
If you start to lose contact between your lower back and the floor, shorten the range of motion or rest.
Planks and side planks
Planks are recommended by spine and pain clinics as a safer core strengthening option than sit ups for many people with lower back pain. A plank lets you work your abs and glutes together while keeping your lumbar spine neutral.
Front plank:
- Start on your forearms and toes, elbows under shoulders.
- Squeeze your glutes and lightly brace your abs as if someone is about to poke your stomach.
- Keep your body in a straight line from ears to heels and avoid sagging at the hips.
- Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Rest and repeat 2 to 3 times.
Side plank:
- Lie on your side with legs straight and your elbow under your shoulder.
- Lift your hips off the floor, forming a straight line from your head to your feet.
- Hold for 10 to 20 seconds per side, 2 to 3 rounds.
As your strength improves, you can increase the hold time or add a gentle twist in the side plank to challenge your obliques, which adds dynamic stability for your lower back.
Key lower back strengthening exercises
Now you are ready to train the muscles that directly support your spine. These moves target your glutes, erector spinae, and deep core, which all work together to keep your lower back resilient.
Bridge and hip bridge variations
The bridge is one of the most effective lower back strengthening exercises you can do without equipment. It hits your gluteus maximus, which plays a major role in hip movement and stabilization, and it also wakes up your core and lower back muscles.
Standard bridge:
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat, hip width apart.
- Tighten your belly and squeeze your glutes.
- Press through your heels to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders.
- Hold for 3 to 5 breaths, then lower slowly.
- Start with 5 to 10 reps and build up to 20 to 30 reps over time.
Strength coaches and pain specialists often rank hip bridges among the best exercises for lower back pain relief, because they stabilize the spine, improve posture, and reduce your risk of future injury.
To progress:
- Move your feet a bit farther from your hips to challenge your hamstrings
- Try single leg bridges once the two leg version feels easy, keeping your hips level
Superman (and a safer alternative)
The Superman exercise targets the erector spinae muscles that run along your spine. These muscles help you maintain an upright posture and support the lower back.
How to do it:
- Lie face down with arms extended in front of you and legs straight.
- Engage your glutes and back muscles to lift your chest, arms, and legs a few inches off the floor.
- Hold for 2 to 3 seconds, then lower with control.
- Aim for 8 to 12 reps.
If this position increases your lower back pain, stop. Health resources advise that you should not persist with Superman if it worsens symptoms and you should consult a healthcare professional instead.
A great alternative is the bird dog, which creates less pressure on the spine:
- Start on hands and knees with your hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
- Brace your core and keep your back flat.
- Extend your right arm forward and left leg back until they are in line with your body.
- Hold for 3 seconds, then return and switch sides.
- Do 8 to 10 reps per side.
The bird dog builds strength in your back and abs with much lower spinal load, which is why many 2024 back pain guides recommend it for beginners.
Good mornings and bodyweight squats
When you are ready for more challenge, you can use standing hip hinge patterns to strengthen your lower back, hips, and glutes together.
Good mornings (bodyweight or light weight):
- Stand with feet hip width apart, knees soft, hands across your chest or holding a very light weight behind your shoulders.
- Brace your core and keep your back neutral.
- Push your hips back as if you are closing a car door with your glutes, letting your torso hinge forward.
- Stop when you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings but no rounding in your back.
- Drive your hips forward to stand tall again.
- Perform 8 to 12 reps.
Done correctly, good mornings build spinal stability and reduce your risk of low back pain or injury.
Bodyweight squats also help if your form is solid:
- Stand with your feet just wider than shoulder width, toes slightly turned out.
- Brace your core and keep your chest up.
- Sit your hips back and down, as if lowering into a chair, while keeping your knees in line with your toes.
- Go as low as you can while maintaining a neutral spine.
- Press through your heels to stand back up.
- Do 10 to 15 reps.
Squats strengthen your lower back indirectly through your hips and glutes. Over time, that extra support reduces existing discomfort and limits future flare ups.
Stretches that support your strength work
Strength without mobility can still leave you stiff and sore. Stretching after your lower back strengthening exercises helps loosen tight hips and hamstrings that pull on your spine. Pain specialists warn against stretching cold at the start of a workout, but they strongly encourage post workout stretching to prevent back pain.
Two or three short stretching sessions a day can make a noticeable difference.
Knee to chest stretch
This stretch targets your lower back and glutes and is simple to do on the floor.
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat.
- Tighten your belly and gently press your spine into the floor.
- Bring one knee toward your chest, grasping behind the thigh or over the shin.
- Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, breathing steadily.
- Switch legs and repeat 2 to 3 times per side.
Guides recommend doing this sequence twice a day when you are working on back mobility.
Rotational stretches for the lower back
Rotational movements help your spine and hips move more freely.
Floor rotational stretch:
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat.
- Extend your arms out to the sides at shoulder height.
- Slowly roll both bent knees to one side while keeping your shoulders flat on the floor.
- Hold for 5 to 10 seconds, then return to center.
- Repeat on the other side, 2 to 3 times per side.
Seated rotational stretch:
- Sit on an armless chair or bench with feet flat.
- Cross one leg over the other.
- Place the opposite elbow on the outside of your top knee.
- Gently twist your torso toward the crossed leg side until you feel a comfortable stretch.
- Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 3 to 5 times per side, twice a day if you sit a lot.
Cat stretch
The cat stretch (cat camel) moves your spine through flexion and extension in a controlled way and helps build both flexibility and strength.
- Start on hands and knees with your hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
- Slowly arch your back toward the ceiling while tucking your chin toward your chest.
- Then reverse the motion by dropping your belly toward the floor and lifting your chest and head.
- Move smoothly between the two positions, coordinating the movement with your breath.
- Repeat 3 to 5 times, twice per day.
How to put this into a simple routine
You do not need an hour in the gym to strengthen your lower back. A focused 15 to 20 minute mini workout, three or four days a week, can deliver results if you stay consistent.
Here is a sample routine you can follow:
- Warm up: 5 minutes of easy walking or cycling
- Core activation:
- Drawing in maneuver, 8 to 10 reps
- Dead bug, 8 to 12 reps per side
- Strength moves:
- Bridge, 2 sets of 10 to 15 reps
- Bird dog or Superman, 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps per side
- Bodyweight squats, 2 sets of 10 to 15 reps
- Finish with stretches:
- Knee to chest, 2 to 3 holds per leg
- Lower back rotational stretch, 2 to 3 holds per side
- Cat stretch, 3 to 5 slow cycles
If you are currently in significant pain or have a history of spine issues, check with a doctor, physical therapist, or osteopath before starting any new plan. A tailored program is often the safest and most effective way to train your back, and clinics such as One&All in Sydney highlight how individualized strengthening programs can dramatically improve chronic low back pain in 2024.
Smart habits to keep your progress
A few training habits will help you get stronger without setting your back off again:
- Focus on form, not ego. Poor form when lifting, especially if you jump to heavy weights, is a common trigger for low back injuries.
- Increase load or difficulty gradually. Avoid big jumps in weight, volume, or exercise complexity.
- Balance strength and mobility. Pair your lower back strengthening exercises with stretching for your hips and hamstrings, especially after workouts.
- Prioritize regular core training as you age. Spine and Wellness Centers of America emphasize increasing core work over the years to support your spine and reduce falls.
Start with one or two of the exercises above today. Notice how your lower back feels after a week of consistent work, even if each session only takes a few minutes. Then keep building. A stronger, pain resistant back is built one smart session at a time.
About the Author
