Lumbar support can be the fastest way to relieve back pain otherwise a solution to eliminate your back pain completely . Strengthening this part of the body can provide more stability and coordination in your movements, and lessbackpressure and muscle fatigue.

In addition, like most cladding exercises, it requires little equipment, can be done without too much time, and is easily integrated into training. In this article, we will give you all the information so that you can get the most possible benefits from lumbar support.

Lumbar sheathing, why do it?

A bit of anatomy

To understand why lumbar support is important, you must first understand this part of the body. The lumbar represents the lower part of the back, and this word is often used to refer indiscriminately to the bones and muscles of this region of the body. At the bone level, there is the bottom of the spine, and not far from the hip joints.

But what really interests us here is the muscles that are present in this part of the body, since our subject is the lumbar sheathing. These are mainly the spinal muscles, commonly called the lumbar, which are a set of deep back muscles. They are responsible for self-growth and are spinal erectors. They are therefore absolutely essential muscles for the balance of the body since they hold the spine, our most important bone and nervous axis. They are made up of three muscles which actually run the length of the spine:

• The spinatus, or long spinatus is the deepest muscle, extending on either side of the spine.
  
• The Longissimus, also called the long dorsal surrounds the spinous. It plays an essential stabilizing role for theback.
  
• The iliocostalis, or long costalis is the most superficial muscle of the muscle group, and is located around the longissimus. It supports the spine.

But that’s not all, because the lower back is also linked to the gluteal muscles and the hip joints. Indeed, the glutes rise higher than one might think, and work in conjunction with the lower back. Thus, the lumbar plays a pivotal role in our body, and is important for its upper part, but also lower.

Lower back pain

Lumbar sheathing is very important for strengthening the lower back muscles, which play such an important role in our body. Because of this taxing role, it is estimated that approximately 70% of the world’s population suffers at some point in their life from low back pain, that is to say from recurrent low back pain. If you too suffer from these pains, there could be several reasons:

• The daily. Whether you have a physical job, or you sit all day in front of a computer, the lower back carries the brunt of your day. They may suffer from excessively repetitive movements, or having to hold their back still for long periods of time.
  
• Poor muscle development. If your lower back is not strong enough, it will be difficult to hold your back all day, which causes pain. But it can also come from other muscles: if the glutes are not muscular enough, the lower back can compensate for the lack, which makes them very tense, and therefore possibly painful.
  
• A bone or nerve problem. Sometimes the pain does not come from the muscles, but from the nerve ends, or from a displacement of one of the vertebrae. The lumbarplankcan help relieve, but it is always better to consult a professional if the pain persists.

How to have strong lower back

Lumbar planking is not a magic solution to all back pain. However, it will help maintain the back by strengthening the lower back muscles, which will reduce pain.

To develop them, it is necessary to avoid too explosive methods. Due to its complexity, the lower back area can quickly suffer from such methods. It is therefore better to favor sheathing exercises by adding progressive difficulty to them: start with static sheathing before progressing to dynamic exercises. These low impact movements will be more suited to these muscles, while remaining effective in strengthening the lower back.

Finally, it is important to incorporate lower back exercises into your daily training. Since they don’t require explosivestrength, you won’t need long recovery periods to reap the muscle benefits. In addition, most of these exercises require little equipment and time, and are therefore easy to integrate into your training program. Do not forget to complete this strengthening with abdominal work, because the lower back cannot work effectively without solid support in the front of the body; and do the same for your hips and glutes.

The best lower back exercises

Lumbar support on the ground

There are many versions of this exercise, which vary in difficulty. We have selected three for you. For each of them you only need a floor mat, on which to lie on your stomach.

• Yea The elevation of the torso. This exercise works the spinal extensors, as well as the glutes and thighs. To perform it, bend your arms, and place your hands under your forehead. By pulling in the belly and contracting the glutes, lift the upper body, going as far as possible without releasing the belly. Perform 7-10 repetitions of 7-8 seconds.
  
• The Superman. Here, the same muscles are mobilized, but with more force. Perform the same movement, but this time with thearmsstretched forward, and simultaneously lifting the legs. You can also work in a cross chain by raising one arm and the opposite leg, which stretches the muscles as they are worked.
  
• Lumbar sheathing with stretching of the shoulders. Repeat the movement of the first exercise, but starting with the arms crossed outwards. As you raise, bring your arms straight back, squeezing your shoulder blades together, with your thumbs pointing toward the ceiling. This exercise will, in addition to lumbar sheathing, work the upper back, shoulder blades and external rotators.

The “hip-thrust”, or dorsal sheathing with bent legs

To perform this exercise, this time place yourself on your back, bending your knees upwards, with your shins perpendicular to the ground. Push through the legs to lift the pelvis to create a straight line between your neck and knees. Be sure to contract the abs so as not to let the belly swell. Hold 8-10 seconds, and repeat ten times.

Be careful not to put too much tension on the neck by tucking your chin slightly towards your chest.

You can energize the exercise by staying with the pelvis lifted, and lifting onelegat a time with the foot in flex to bring it into the chin-knee axis of your body. Be careful not to move anything else, to maintain tension, then switch legs.

The reverse plank, or back plank with straight legs

This exercise, as its name suggests, is a lumbar core exercise similar to the plank, but performed with the torso facing upwards. Lying on your back, place your forearms on the floor, with your elbows under your shoulders, and at a right angle. Then, lift your body keeping only your heels and forearms as points of support. Like a plank, squeeze your abs andglutes tight, and hold for at least 10 seconds.

For a variation, without moving your upper body, lift one leg then the other. It is not necessary to go very high with the leg, the lower back will work with a few centimeters of elevation.

The four-legged cross extension

This lumbar sheathingexercise is recommended by many physiotherapists to work the lumbar, but also the rest of the back.

Get on all fours, with your arms directly below your shoulders, and your spine in a neutral position, without overextending. Then, lift one arm, and the opposite leg up to align them with your torso. Perform this movement by squeezing the abs, and making sure not to dig in the shoulders. This exercise is perfect for strengthening the lower back in a balanced way, while stretching it thanks to cross chain work.

You can make the exercise more dynamic, and work the front and back planes of the body, with a simple variation. Once you’ve lifted your arm and leg, bend them, and bend your back so that your elbow and knee meet in front of you.

In summary: lumbar sheathing

If you suffer or are at risk of suffering from back pain, lumbar plank exercises can be an excellent solution for you. Without explosive force, and with very little equipment, these movements will help you develop the muscles of your back to guarantee its stability, and allow it to carry you without pain all day long.

Whether you are athletic or not, or whether you have a physical job or not very active, your lower back is an essential part of your body, and you should take care of it by integrating lumbar support into your routines.