Exercise Guide: Lower Back

Having a strong lower back is one of the most important things to have to live a healthy life. If your profession requires you to do a lot of heavy lifting, than having a strong lower back will definitely benefit you. However, even if you are a computer processor, it still benefits you to have a strong lower back, as it will protect your posture and keep you from injury during strenuous exercise. That's why I have listed several of the most popular and proven lower-back exercises.

The first exercise is Hyperextensions (Back Extensions). What you will need to do is lay face down on a hyperextension bench, which means you will tuck your ankles securely under the footpads. You will need to fix the upper pad, if you can, to your upper thighs lay flat across the wide pad, leaving enough room for you to bend at the waist without any restriction. You will begin with your body in a straight line. You can put your arms in two different positions, either crossed in front of you or behind your head. Also, if you are wanting a little extra resistance, than you can hold onto a weight. When the movement starts you will slowly bend forward from the waist as far as you can while keeping your back extremely flat. It is EXTREMELY important that you DO NO round your back. Now to return to the starting point, slowly raise your torso until your legs and upper body are back in that straight line. Also, it is very important that you do not arch your back past a straight line either.

The second exercise is the alternative to the Hyperextensions -- it is the Hyperextensions With No Hyperextension Bench. You will need to have a partner who can sit or hold onto your legs. You will slide yourself to the edge of the bench, until your hips hang off of the bench. Your entire upper body will be hanging down towards the floor. Then you will perform this motion just as you would if you have the actual Hyperextension Bench. The only difference between the two will be that without the bench you will have slightly less range of motion.