From tying your shoes to walking up the stairs to playing with a pet, lumbar mobility plays a crucial role in your daily life that you may take for granted. These are just a few of the many ways that low back mobility is "intricately involved" in basic activities, according to Dr. Brad Whitley, PT, DPT, of Bespoke Treatments [1] San Diego.
Plus, "limitations in lumbar spine mobility can cause compensation elsewhere or even contribute to degenerative issues," like arthritis or disc thinning, says Dr. Whitley. Compensation into the thoracic spine or hip girdle may also lead to lower back pain.
In a recent video on the Bespoke Treatments Instagram page, Dr. Whitley demonstrated [2] four flexion and rotational-based movements designed to help improve lower back mobility and prevent these negative side effects.
The caption of the post recommends doing 10 reps of each exercise per side and supplementing the routine with strength exercises. Dr. Whitley suggests exercises that target certain muscle groups, such as tall plank and mountain climbers [3] for your deep core, prone Superman [4] for your spinal extensors, and reverse lunges [5] for your glutes.
As always, remember to listen to your body and stop if you're experiencing pain.
- Hip switches
- Figure 4 lumbar rotations
- Double knee to chest
- Supine scorpion
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