Do you have low back pain?

Low back pain is the largest disabler of people in the world. It is estimated that about 80% of the worlds population will suffer from low back pain in their life and at least one half of all Americans admit to having low back pain each year!

So what causes low back pain and how do we prevent it from happening? One of the largest contributors to low back pain is the sedentary lifestyle that most Americans live. The stereotypical office job is 9-5 sitting at a desk in front of a computer all day long. Sitting all day is one of the worst things you could do for your back. Poor posture puts abnormal stress on the spine and sitting also inactivates the gluteal (butt) muscles. When these muscles become inactive our hamstrings get very tight pulling on our pelvis and can cause back pain.

So, how can we help fix these two problems? I recommend taking a break at least every hour during the work day to stand up and walk just for 5 minutes. This will give your body a rest and help you feel better throughout the day. We can also work on strengthening and activating your glute muscles to make sure they’re still working properly and are not causing you any pain.

The first exercise you can do is a glute bridge. Here is a video demonstrating how to perform the glute bridge. Remember when performing this exercise you need to focus on squeezing your glutes together while performing the exercise.