Core Strengthening Exercise for Lower Back Pain

Whether from a sudden injury to your muscles or ligaments, or due to spinal compression fractures from osteoporosis, lower back pain is tough. But like all Thrivers, you’re tougher.

Dr. Josh Renkens of Resilient Health & Performance, LLC shares the first of three Stuart McGill inspired exercises to help your lower back bounce back.

Curl Ups

Looks can be deceiving – despite how it looks, this is not your basic abdominal crunch!

• Step One: Simply bend one leg, leaving the other one straight and flat and place your palms under your back’s natural arch.
• Step Two: Raise your upper body (chest, shoulders, and head) slowly, not bending your back. You don’t need to come too far off the floor for this exercise to be effective.

How does this exercise minimize stress, and even promote relief to your lower back? It preserves the natural curve of your back and gives you better stability and engagement while allowing your abs (not back) to do the work.

Curl Ups: Exercise Success Tips:

• Err on the side of less movement: Too much movement can counterbalance the exercise, as doing too much too soon (or incorrectly) can put more strain on your back instead of achieving the desired relief.
• Don’t overstrain your neck: While this exercise focuses on the lower back, if you’re not paying attention, your neck can oftentimes take on the extra strain.

Need a visual? Dr. Renkens shows us how it’s done, and includes a series of modifications in this video: https://www.facebook.com/ithriveX/videos/2110512665858124/

Amp Up Your Healing

While the curl-up is proven to strengthen and provide pain relief, you can take its healing effects to the next level with ithriveX. Made to support chronic pain sufferers and injured adventurers alike, this innovative healing cream reduces inflammation and alleviates pain so your body’s natural restoration ability can kick in to do what it does best – heal.