For this article, I am dedicating this writing to individuals with low back pain who would like to start exercising but are unsure which exercises to avoid.

I will go over the top 3 exercises I always advise my clients to avoid if they have low back pain, regardless of their diagnosis.

In addition, I will talk about the principle of neutral spine, and if you can understand it, then the mentioned exercises will be clear to you as to why you should not perform them as part of your exercise routine.

Why You Should Keep a Neutral Spine?

First, let us go over the principle of neutral spine.

In our spine, there are curvatures that go into the spine (lordosis), and one that goes out of the spine (kyphosis).

In the spine, our neck, low back, and tailbone regions are all in lordosis. For the rest of the spine, our mid back, and the lower hip (pelvis) region, these are all cases of kyphosis.

It is important to make this clear distinction because anytime the low back region loses its lordosis by bending forward/slouching. We are putting pressure on the spinal joints and the supporting structures (muscles and discs).

If sustained pressure in this position persists for a prolonged period, the body will have to react to the load by tensing and going into muscle spasm to help protect the muscles and discs. 

I would like to invite you to place the back of your right hand on your lower back. Notice how it naturally feels like an inward curvature? This is what lordosis curvature feels like.

Let us not be concerned with how much curvature it has yet, because I would like to get this general principle across so you can start implementing it.

Keep your hand at your lower back and let us try to slouch in the lower back. Notice that the curvature has disappeared, and it is pushing towards you. This is where the low back is reversing out from the natural lordosis. This is what you want to avoid at all costs when you start your exercise journey.

When in doubt, when you start any stretching and strengthening exercises, apply this neutral low back spine principle to spare your low back. We are now ready to move on to the three most overlooked exercises that I have seen my clients demonstrate, which may contribute to their low back pain.

Three Exercises to Avoid for a Healthy Low Back

The First Exercise to avoid is sit-ups:  

That’s right! The sit-ups I am referring to are a full sit-up. The main reason most people want to do sit-ups is that they believe it helps develop a strong core.

But often, this exercise does not address the principle of core strength. It only works on a set of muscles to showcase the aesthetic. These muscles are called: Rectus Abdominis (Six-pack muscles).

When you do full sit-ups, if you put your hand at the base of your lower back, you will find that the curvature is lost during the motion. Repeating this motion may cause pressure to build in your lower back.

Modified Exercise to sit-ups: 

You can try modified sit-ups, focusing only on the upper ⅓ of the mid back and lifting off the floor. You can pause at the top for 3 seconds, then pause at the bottom for 3 seconds as well.

The Second Exercise to Avoid is Toe Touches.

For some reason, every client loves to incorporate this stretch to stretch their hamstrings. As it has been ingrained in us since childhood. This hamstring stretch is a way for people to showcase their flexibility.

However, as you do toe touches, if you put your hand in your lower back, you will find the lower back lordosis has been lost once again. This is not favourable for the lower back as it will build up pressure. 

Modified Exercise to Toe Touches (Bent Knee Stretches for Hamstrings): 

I would like to show you a modified version of a toe touch stretch – bent-knee stretch for your hamstrings. Bending your knee and doing it with a single leg keeps your lower back in a neutral angle.

You can hold this position and be certain that you are not doing any harm to your lower back. I will update a photo illustration for the bent knee stretch for the hamstring muscles in the future. 

The Third Exercise to Avoid is Back Extension Exercises: 

For this exercise, I am referring to the one where you strap your legs and are in a cantilever position by lowering your upper body to a parallel angle to the floor. The reason this exercise is not favourable is that most people I have observed in the gym bend excessively at the lower back as they lower down. Another thing to know is that, in this position, when tested by McGill’s research group, it was found to place an unfavourable amount of force on the lower back. In addition, it places tremendous pressure on the spinal discs. 

Modified Exercises for Back Extension (Bird Dog Exercise): 

A better way to find a substitute is to try bird-dog exercises to achieve the desired effects for glute and core training. For bird dog exercise, you can go on all fours. And then maintain your neutral spine and engage your core. Then you can extend one leg at a time to hold in this position to feel glute muscle contractions. This exercise is great for core engagement and glute activation.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed the important principle of maintaining your low back in a neutral position to avoid excessive pressure buildup in the lumbar spine. We have also gone through three exercises/stretches to avoid. I have also added substitute exercises for you to consider implementing. With that being said, when you are attempting a new exercise, go over the principle of neutral spine to ensure you are not hurting your lower back. When in doubt, if you have any questions, you are always welcome to contact me for a consultation, or you can find a local therapist to provide an assessment and professional opinion on the best way to implement exercises. 

If you are currently experiencing low back pain and need solutions, you can also check out my website to book your first chiropractic consultation and treatment. 

I also have resources on my YouTube channel, Dr Leo Chou Chiropractor, where I demonstrate exercises for core and glute strengthening. You can go on over there and check it out as well. I hope you find this post informative. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to me.