How to strengthen the lower back

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How to strengthen the lower back
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• Stretching the back muscles after completing a
  back-strengthening routine can help prevent
  muscle soreness and injury. It may also provide
  additional benefits, such as improving range of
  motion and flexibility.
• This article outlines strengthening and
  stretching exercises for the lower back.
  Together, these may help people minimize and
  manage lower back pain.

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Strengthening exercises

• The following exercises can help strengthen,
  stabilize, and support the lower back. The North
  American Spine Society notes that a person should
  stop performing a back exercise if it leads to
  acute or increased back pain.

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Glute bridge

• The glute bridge works a persons gluteus
  maximus, the largest of the gluteal muscles, or
  glutes, that form the buttocks. This muscle
  engages when a person extends their hips, such as
  when they stand up out of a squat. It also helps
  with both external rotation, which is when the
  knee and hip open away from the body, and
  abduction, which is when the leg lifts away from
  the body.

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• The glutes help stabilize the lower back by
  acting as both a stabilizer and a mobilizer.
  Strong glutes can stabilize and support the lower
  back and hips, and they can also help stabilize
  the knees when they are extended.

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Bird-dog

• The bird-dog works the gluteal muscles. It also
  exercises the back extensor muscles, which attach
  to the back of the spine and allow a person to
  stand, bend, and lift objects.

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Plank

• The plank exercise primarily works the
  abdominals, but it also engages the arms,
  shoulders, hip flexors, and feet, making it a
  good full-body stability exercise. This position
  may also activate the back extensor muscles and
  the quadratus lumborum, which is the deepest back
  muscle. It extends from the lowest rib to the
  pelvic bone.

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Side plank

• The side plank is a modified version of the plank
  that works the quadratus lumborum as well as the
  gluteus medius and tensor fascia lata (TFL).
  These muscles are important for hip stability.