7 Ways to Protect the Lower Back From Pain

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📋 What’s Inside

• 7 ways to protect the lower back from pain

• The healthiest country in the world’s food guide

• 7 worst foods for your brain, this 15 minute home workout, and more…

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💪 Glean & Apply

7 Ways to Protect the Lower Back From Pain

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18 years ago I suffered a lower back injury that took me out during a football season.

It was the last time I played high school football... and afterwards I went through 3 months of physical therapy.

My lower back hurt so bad I could barely walk. As my coach so eloquently (and memorably) put it -

He was right.

Ever since, I never wanted that pain again.

So here are the 7 things I’ve learned to do to protect my lower back.

#1 - Stand more

Sitting for prolonged periods of time is one of the worst things for the lower back.

Here’s a helpful way to visualize sitting.

Bend your body in a 90 degree angle. The angle juncture is your lower back.

Apply 40% of your bodyweight (the weight of your upper body) directly on that juncture.

Put key supporting pelvic and leg muscles in prolonged positions that also cause weakness and strain on that juncture.

Then do that for 6-8+ hours a day.

For 7 days in a row.

For decades.

No wonder about 40% of American adults have some kind of back pain (almost 100 million people).

Recommendations:

• Stand once every 20-30 minutes

• Invest in a standing desk

• Read for a few minutes while standing

• Stand intermittently while watching TV/movie

• Stand periodically taking phone calls

• Stand periodically taking conference calls

• Stand while snacking

#2 - Walk more

If you are experiencing lower back pain, one of the best things you can do is to move around.

Walking is not just a break from sitting, but it strengthens the key muscles needed for spinal support (#3, #4, #5).

10,000 steps the accepted daily goal. While that number’s history suggests some subjectivity, it is a great number as a target.

The rule of thumb is that a 10 minute walk is about 1,000 steps.

Most desk workers average 4k-6k steps per day, so all you need to do is add in 40-60 minutes of movement in the day.

Here are some ways to get more steps in throughout the day.

Recommendations:

• Go for a 10, 20, 30, 45, 60 minute walk before the workday starts

• Go for a 10, 20, 30, 45, 60 minute walk in the evenings

• Bring your dog on these walks (he’ll love it)

• Bring your kid(s) on these walks (the will always remember it)

• Bring your wife on these walks (she’ll love it)

• Make it a family walk (they’ll love it)

• Go to the bathroom in the office that’s furthest away

• Use the copy machine in the office that’s furthest away

• Take a 10, 20, or 30 minute lunch break walk

• Take phone calls while walking

• Listen to a conference call while walking

• Walk around the local mall on cold days

• Get a standing walking pad for the work desk

P.S. Here are 100 ways to get 2,000 steps in each day

#3 - Work on the hamstrings

Sitting for prolonged periods of time causes your hamstrings to tighten.

These large muscles on the backside of your legs are in a flexed position when you’re sitting with bent knees.

Prolonged time in that position tightens the hamstrings, which pulls on the pelvis, thus straining the lower back.

The hamstrings are made up of a few different muscles. These recommendations target the main ones.

Recommendations:

• Walk more

• Straighten your legs periodically while sitting

• Try the Elephant Walk stretch (my favorite)

• Try forward leg swings

• Try the stool stretch

#4 - Work on the glutes

Sitting for prolonged periods of time also causes your glutes to tighten by inhibiting them.

Muscles work in opposing pairs. While one muscle flexes the other lengthens:

• Quad flexes, hamstring lengthens (and vice-versa)

• Bicep flexes, tricep lengthens (and vice-versa)

In a sitting position, the gluteus medius lengthens while the hip flexors are flexed.

Prolonged time in this position weakens the gluteus medius and makes them less active, which puts strain on the pelvis, causing lower back pain.

The glutes are also made up of a few different muscles. These recommendations target the main ones.

Recommendations:

• Walk more

• Try Goblet Squats

• Try Lunges

• Try the Supine knee to chest stretch (my favorite)

• Try the Piriformis stretch

• Try the Supine gluteus medius stretch

#5 - Work on the hips

Sitting for prolonged periods of time also causes your hips to tighten.

Hip flexors are tightened while the gluteus medius is lengthened, which strains the pelvis, thus pulling the lower back.

Sitting also puts strain on the lower discs in your vertebrae, which can cause pain that radiates to the hips.

The hips are also made up of a few different muscles. These recommendations target the main ones.

Recommendations:

• Walk more

• Try Lateral Leg Swings

• Try the Ballerina stretch

• Try the 90/90 stretch (my favorite)

• Try the Kneeling Hip Flexor stretch

#6 - Work on the core

A strong core protects your lower back by alleviating pressure on your spine.

There are dozens of exercises you can do to strengthen it. Here are some to get started with.

Recommendations:

• Try the Plank

• Try the Deadbug

• Try the Ab wheel

• Try Hanging Leg Raises (my favorite)

• Try the Prone Cobra

• Try the Superman

#7 - Strengthen posterior chain (PC)

The PC is the network of muscles that run from your neck to your ankles.

Strengthening these muscles provides support for your spine, posture, and ensures muscles like the glutes and hamstrings are strong and not imbalanced.

A strong PC can help reduce/eliminate back pain, and I’ve seen this personally in working with dozens of clients.

Recommendations:

• Try Deadlifts

• Try Kettlebell Swings (my favorite)

• Try Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts

• Try the Glute bridge

➡️ The Takeaway

Pain in one part of the body is likely caused by imbalance in another part of the body.

It’s almost like our bodies are systems of interconnected parts… sound familiar? (1 Corinthians 12-14).

God created our bodies as a complicated but synergistic system that’s designed to move. And system damage happens when we don’t move regularly.

Hope this gives you some encouragement to get out there and move that system more.

🔎 Finds

Here are some of my favorite finds/resources this week.

Top find

The healthiest country in the world’s food guide (more)

Other finds

• 7 worst foods for your brain (more)

• Progressive overload explained: the 10% rule (more)

• The best time to weigh yourself (more)

• Lime water benefits (more)

• 3 supplements you might need after 50 (more)

What’s new with Layman’s Fitness

• This 15 minute home workout (more)

👍 Thanks for reading!

Here are some resources that can help your fitness:

• The Home Gym Equipment List - I’ve made $1,000+ of purchasing mistakes on home gym equipment, and here’s what I’d get knowing what I know now

• 30 Day Weight Loss - Here’s a step-by-step guide on losing 5-10+ pounds in the next 30 days

• KB Strength System - Everything you need to get strong and lose weight all at home.

I’ll see you next week.

Be strong,

Don

P.S. Did you notice the newsletter name change?

Fit Tip Fridays will now be called the Layman’s Fitness Newsletter.

Main reasons are branding and this newsletter has more than just a tip.

Here’s a thank you and goodbye to the Fit Tip Fridays name.