If you have had low back pain and have done physical therapy, you’ve probably been told about the benefits of core strengthening. The muscles that keep the spine stable are those known as the core muscles. These include the hip musculature, the large and small muscle along the spine, and the abdominal and pelvic muscles. When a person normally does strength training, the core muscles are often not included in an exercise program. Without specifically focusing on these muscles, they are often weak. Working the core muscles often is hard because it takes special exercises, they are boring to do, and sometimes it is hard to tell if you are working the correct muscles. Further, when going to physical therapy, many people are given fifty exercises, they all seem to be the same, and they take too long to get done in a reasonable amount of time.
A good core strengthening program can be done by just about anyone in about 15 to 20 minutes. If you have had low back pain, doing core strengthening combined with general muscle strength training should be done three times a week. This will be necessary to build and maintain the muscle function, and should decrease the overall pain level felt by a person. The nice thing about core strengthening is that it does not require expensive or significant amounts of equipment. For many people core strengthening can be done with no equipment. Helpful equipment would include 1.5 pound each ankle weights, 3-lb. hand weights, an exercise ball, a balance board, and rubber tubing with handles and a door loop to secure it in a doorway.
Core Strengthening Exercises
The first set of exercises does not require any equipment. Weight can be added to the ankles and the 3-lb. hand weight when it becomes too easy. Planks engage the whole body and especially the core muscles. A plank is done like a push-up, but one holds the body stiff like a straight board, instead of the arms straight, lean on bent elbows, and hold the position for 30-45 seconds, take a break then repeat. Making it harder, try holding the plank on a balance board, as this will make you engage the muscles to keep you from falling to the side. One level higher includes side planks, keeping the position on one elbow and leg on your side, hold on each side again for 30 seconds. Adding side leg lifts increases the challenge as does adding in ankle weights.
Superman
The next exercise that is easy to add is the “superman”. In this exercise, you are on the floor on your hands and knees. From this position, stretch out one arm and the opposite leg, get them fully extended, reach as far as possible, and hold it for 5-10 seconds, keeping the back level. Switch and do the other arm and leg, and do a series of seven to eight of these. This exercise is good at working the small muscles along the spine and leg as well as arm muscles. When it becomes easy, strap on ankle weights and use the 3-lb. hand weight.
Crunches & Leg Lifts
The next group of exercises is the one many people hate. Abdominal crunches and leg lifts. Abdominal crunches are like the old fashioned sit-ups, but one does not sit up at all. Lying on your back with your legs bent and feet flat on the ground, place your hands behind your head and start to bend forward at the waist tightening up the abdomen. There is no rule on how many crunches to do, but do as many as needed to make the stomach feel like it is working. Combine straight crunches with twisting to each side, as this allows one to make sure that you work more of the abdominal muscles, especially the obliques. The other good abdominal exercise is doing leg lifts. Again, lying on the back, but with the legs straight out, lift them off the ground 6-12 inches and hold them there for 10 seconds. Making it tougher, spread the legs apart and hold them after having them together. If it’s still not hard enough, add the ankle weights and do the exercise. Do a series of seven of them.
Working the small paraspinal muscles that connect level to level in the spine seems one of the hardest areas. Rubber tubing and bands seem to be an easy way to activate these, and to be able to feel them when you are engaging the correct muscles. Rubber tubing of different strengths with handles for each end and a doorway anchor (a nylon loop to thread the tubing through and an enlarged end, when placed between a closed door, this is a secured hold for the tubing) is great for these exercises. There are only a few exercises to with the tubing, but it is easy to feel you are working the back muscles. First, place the anchor in the top of the door, face the door, grab the handles, step back slightly and pull the handles down and hold for several seconds at your waist then slowly release the tension, and do seven of these. Turn around with your back to the door, take a small step out, hold the tubing with the elbows bent to the chest and slowly bend forward, hold the position and then slowly return to standing upright. The forward bending puts traction on the lower spine as well as makes one activate the muscles. Also with your back to the door, you can have your arms fully extended forward and bring the arms down in front of you, also activating lower spine muscles as well as arm muscles. Once those exercises are mastered, you can add in placing the anchor in the side of door frame at mid to lower chest level, and do arm exercises facing the door and away. These will work the arms, chest, mid and low back muscles. Doing a series of seven of each exercise often will only take between 5-10 minutes and does a very good core and upper body workout. Tubing is extremely portable and can be easily taken with you and used when traveling to keep up the exercise program.
Core body strengthening is relatively easy and does not require a lot of time or equipment. A physical therapist often will give you too many exercises, but just choose some and do them. A rounded program hitting the major areas often can be done in a very short amount of time, three times a week. It does not need expensive equipment and can be done at home or when travelling. Feeling better takes the commitment to do the work. The simple stuff like exercise works the best to control pain, but it is up to you whether you will succeed.