Got low back pain?
Well, I'm gonna show you some simple core exercises to help prevent and reduce it.
Cool Bear says let's go.
Oh, hey, before we get started, I want to thank Zyllion for sponsoring this video.
They're the makers of the ZMA-33, which is the shiatsu seat massager cushion pad.
If you're interested in purchasing it, or checking out any of their other products,
click on the link up there or in the description below.
So for these four simple core exercises, don't forget the core is just not the front, the
core is all the way around your torso area.
So we're going to start off with a super simple movement, and then I'm going to show you a
progression to make it a little harder, we're going to lie down first.
And if you've seen any of my back videos, you know, one of my favorite exercises is
a pelvic tilt looks really easy, but it's very effective.
So with the pelvic tilt when you're lying down, or the posterior pelvic tilt, what you're
trying to do is basically flattening out your back, but you're not using your legs to push.
So I'm not pushing it down, I'm rotating my pelvis to flatten out that back.
So you can see I'm not holding my breath and pushing, it should be a comfortable, easy
movement, I'm flattening everything out.
But you should be able to see a little bit of that tilt, or that rotation in the hip.
That's what I'm trying to do.
I'm trying to tilt everything back.
But I'm using those core muscles to get that pelvic tilt, once I get into the pelvic tilt,
just holding it maybe three to five seconds, and then relaxing.
So that's the pelvic tilt.
That's kind of the beginner or starting point of the exercise.
So you want to make sure you get this pelvic tilt down, you get a comfortable again, remember,
I'm not pushing with my legs to get myself down.
I'm rotating here.
So I should almost be able to kind of move my legs around while I'm doing it because
I'm not pushing with those legs.
So once I get that posterior pelvic tilt down, then I'm going to add it into what we call
a dead bug.
So the dead bug is almost just think about, you know, if you see a bug on his back, kind
of moving his legs, so you're going to start with the pelvic tilt, get into that pelvic
tilt.
And then you're going to just bring up one leg a little bit, and then lift your opposite
arm with it.
So I'm just coming up, I don't have to take my arm all the way back, I don't have to let
my leg all the way up.
But I'm trying to keep that pelvic tilt the whole time.
So if you don't feel like you can keep that tilt the whole time while you're doing this
movement, you're probably not quite ready for that progression.
So again, going into that pelvic tilt, lifting up, coming back down, if I can keep it holding
the whole time, go right into the next one.
If not, you can stop and reset the whole time.
But again, while you're doing the movement, you want to be able to keep that pelvic tilt
the whole time.
So then the next one is just going to be another one of my favorites for the back.
And core strength is a bridge.
So with the bridge, you might have heard me say this, you want to roll your body up.
So it's not just coming up and down a bridge like that, because then you're just using
momentum, and you're not really using your glutes and your hamstrings to lift.
So you're really almost rolling up getting into the straight line.
So you're not going into extension with your bag.
So this is not an extension exercise.
And then you're just gently rolling back down, feet and knees are about hip width apart.
So again, just rolling up about into a straight line, and then rolling back down.
So it's kind of that progression of the pelvic tilt.
Now you are lifting up using your glutes and your hamstrings one more time, rolling up
with that bridge, and then rolling back down.
So the progression of the bridge, if you can get that down is pretty easy, you get to 20-25,
it's no problem, then you can go into a single leg bridge.
So now I'm just going to kind of lift one leg up.
And now I'm doing a bridge with one leg is still the same thing.
I'm not just pushing myself up, I'm rolling that body up, and then slowly rolling back
down.
The key is here, if my hip on this side starts dropping, so like if I'm doing this or either
the other way, if I feel like my hip is dropping while I'm doing it, then I'm probably not
ready for that progression.
Your hips should stay in alignment when you come up, and then be able to nice and slowly
come down.
So even if you can do just maybe two or three on one side and then switch or if you want
to switch each time you can do that as well.
But eventually you want to be able to do you know up to 10 continuously on one side.
So then the next one is going to be a clamshell, another one of my favorites.
These are all super simple, but they're great exercises for the core in general, to help
the bat get stronger to prevent the back pain or even reduce it if you have it.
So with a clamshell, make sure you're comfortable.
If you want to lay your head all the way down you can I'm just kind of propping up so I
think See you better, you can see me better.
The key with the clamshell is you want your hips to be perpendicular to what you're lying
on the couch the bed or if you're doing these on the floor, you don't want to roll your
hips back, you don't want to roll in forward, you want to kind of keep them in this position
the whole time.
So a lot of times I say, place your hand on your hips, so you'll know if it's moving or
not.
So with the normal clamshell, bring your knees up a little bit.
Some people like to keep them in alignment, some people like to keep the the back feet,
the hips and your shoulders and alignment.
That's fine, just really what's more comfortable for you.
These are stacked on top of each other's the feet are stacked upon each other, and the
feet stay together.
So it doesn't have to be a big lift, the top leg is moving upward.
So you're just going to lift up this way.
But again, I'm not coming all the way up where I have to roll back, because you that takes
away from the exercise, you want to keep this here.
So you don't have to lift it up super high.
And then nice and slow back down.
Now a lot of times with clam shells, people started doing these and they're like, no,
no, this feels pretty easy.
And then you get to six and seven, you're like, Okay, now I can, I can feel it right
there.
That's where I feel.
And that's where you're supposed to be feeling that gluteus medius muscle.
So again, if you're doing these, and you can get to 20 25 30.
Super easy, then you can progress it.
And so one of the progressions of the clamshell is now this time, lift your feet up in the
air.
So see my knees are still down.
But now I have to hold my feet up, but it's the exact same motion.
So now I'm getting a wider motion.
And I have to use my cord to keep my feet up.
So I'm opening up but I'm still keeping those hips perpendicular to what I'm lying down
on.
And then nice and slow.
Going up and down.
If you need to reset each time and bring them down, that's okay.
But eventually, you want to be able to keep the feet up the whole time.
And I'm feeling it in my core here too when I left the feet, so not even just here, but
I'm feeling it in my core as well.
So now you're going to roll over into all fours are quadropod.
So make sure that your shoulders and your hands are kind of in alignment with each other
so you don't end up injuring your shoulder while you're doing this.
Try and keep your back nice and flat.
You don't want to roll you want to try and keep everything in a kind of a neutral position.
And then you're just going to kick your leg back into a leg extension.
So I'm just kicking back, but I'm not lifting and rolling.
I'm just keeping, trying to keep my back as nice and straight as I can.
And then alternate sides kicking back that way.
So same thing if you can do these and you're pretty comfortable and not having too much
of a difficult time doing it.
And just let you know, this is a little tougher on a squishier surface like a couch or a bed.
Sometimes these are a little bit easier on the floor if you can get on the floor.
But if those become easy, then you can progress it into a bird dog.
And so just the bird dog is kind of like it sounds if you've ever seen a dog pointing
for a bird.
So when you kick out, now you're going to lift your opposite arm.
So I'm kicking and lifting, still trying to keep that back as straight as I can.
Try not to roll those hips and then just alternating back and forth.
So there you have it.
Those were four simple progression exercises to help reduce and prevent low back pain.
Thanks again to Zyllion for sponsoring this video.
If you're interested in purchasing the ZMA-33, click on the link up there or in the link
in the description below.
And remember, be safe, have fun, and I hope you feel better soon.