Lower back pain is a common issue for people of all ages, especially for older ones. It disrupts lifestyle, making it harder for people to move from one place to another.
However, if you want to build a strong and flexible lower back and prevent back pain in the future, you should train your lower back frequently.
Plenty of strengthening and stretching exercises for the lower back are available on the web. But if you want to bolster your lower spine only with resistance bands, this is the right place.
The resistance bands are easy to use, provide a full range of motion, and allow you to adjust the angle and the tension level so that you can efficiently train your lumbar spine.
In this article, I’ve outlined the following resistance band exercises that target the lower back from all angles and make it resilient.
- Bird Dog
- Stiff-Legged Deadlift
- Good Morning
- Superman Pull
- Single-leg Deadlift
5 Best Lower Back Resistance Band Exercises
Let’s see how to perform each banded exercise plus their benefits.
1. Resistance Band Bird Dog
The bird dog is a compound movement that engages multiple muscles simultaneously, particularly the posterior chain and abdominals.
It is one of Stuart McGill’s big three lower back exercises that helped many people improve spine stability and posture.1 Low Back Exercises: Stuart McGill’s Big Three – American Council of Exercise
You need an exercise mat and a small to medium band to perform this movement.
Here’s how to perform a bird dog step-by-step:
- Step 1: Sit on all fours, wrap the resistance band around your right foot or knee, and hold the other side of the band with your right hand.
- Step 2: Brace your core, firmly grip the band, and raise your right arm and left leg until they are entirely straight.
- Step 3: Hold for a moment in that position, and then bring your knees and hands back on the floor.
Perform three sets of six to ten reps on each side.
Avoid this exercise if you have knee pain or mobility issues.
2. Stiff-Legged Deadlift
This exercise primarily works on the hamstrings but also activates the lower back and strengthens your posterior chain muscles.2 Martín-Fuentes, Isabel et al. “Electromyographic activity in deadlift exercise and its variants. A systematic review.” PloS one vol. 15,2 e0229507. 27 Feb. 2020, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0229507
It involves bending your torso toward the floor without bending your knees. This movement stretches the hamstring and spinal muscles and improves hip mobility, helping you build a functional lower body.
A banded stiff-leg deadlift involves the following steps:
- Step 1: Stand straight in the hip-width stance and place the resistance band under your feet.
- Step 2: Firmly grab the other end of the band with an overhand grip and maintain an upright posture.
- Step 3: Pushing your hips back, lean your torso forward until the band reaches your shin level.
- Step 4: Slowly return to the standing position until your hips are entirely extended. You’ll feel the work on your hamstring muscles during the movement.
Aim for three to four sets of five to ten reps each. Try not to bend your knees too much.
Use power bands to perform this exercise. Power bands usually have high tension levels and are perfect for exercises like deadlifts, rowing, and presses.
This exercise can also be used as a warm-up before barbell deadlifts because it stimulates the entire rear body and helps lift heavy.
3. Resistance Band Good Morning
Good Morning involves placing one end of the band under your feet and another around your neck, then bending at your hips and returning back to the upright position. This will stretch your spinal and hamstring muscles and help you develop sturdiness, balance, and flexibility in these areas.3 Vigotsky AD, Harper EN, Ryan DR, Contreras B. Effects of load on good morning kinematics and EMG activity. PeerJ. 2015;3:e708. Published 2015 Jan 6. doi:10.7717/peerj.708
You need a highly stretchable elastic band to execute this movement.
Here’s how you can perform a Good Morning by following these simple steps:
- Step 1: Stand upright in a hip-width stance, place the band under your feet, and wrap the other end of the band around your neck.
- Step 2: Bend your torso forward without bending your knees until your chest is parallel to the floor.
- Step 3: Hold for a couple of seconds in that position, then slowly return to the upright position.
Aim for three sets of 6-10 reps with one to two minutes rest between sets. Ensure your back remains flat throughout the movement.
4. Banded Superman Pull
We know Superman is an excellent exercise for strengthening the lower spinal area. But I want you to try a modified variation of it: Superman Pull.
The Superman pull involves lying prone, raising your arms and legs off the floor, and then pulling the band toward your chest.
This movement activates the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, and lumbar spine and helps a strong back and upright posture.
This exercise requires you to attach the band to the door or standing object. You can anchor the band to the door or furniture’s leg, for example.
Follow this step-by-step instructions to perform a Superman pull:
- Step 1: Attach the band to the door and lie prone on the floor in front of it. Extend your arms and hold them firmly.
- Step 2: Lift your arms and legs slightly off the floor. Pull the band toward your chest until you feel the complete contraction in your lats.
- Step 3: Squeeze your lats, hold them there for a couple of seconds, and then extend your arms.
Aim for three sets of 10 to 15 reps with 60 seconds of rest in between them.
5. Single Leg Deadlift
The single-leg deadlift is a unilateral exercise that helps improve balance while strengthening the hamstring, glute, and lower back.
Strong glutes and hammies provide stability to the spine, helping you perform better during lower body exercise and lessen the risk of lower back injury.
Step-by-step guide to performing a single-leg deadlift:
- Step 1: Place the band under your left foot and grab the other end with both hands.
- Step 2: Raise your right leg behind you and lower your torso toward the floor simultaneously until they are parallel to the ground.
- Step 3: Pushing your right foot into the ground, slowly return to the start.
Performing this exercise requires balance and flexibility, so if you can’t do it with a resistance band, use your body weight only.
Should You Do Resistance Band Exercises if You Have Lower Back Pain?
These resistance band exercises are good for strengthening lower back muscles, not for injury treatment.
So, if you have severe pain or ongoing injuries, you should consult your doctor or trainer before doing any of the above exercises, as some of them may aggravate or worsen the pain.
How Often Should You Train Your Lower Back?
You can train your lower back at least once a week to minimize the risk of injuries and pain. If you train at home, I suggest using the above exercises, and if you train in the gym, use dumbbell exercises.
Which Bands Are Suitable for Training Lower Back?
To train your lower back, you need highly stretchable resistance bands with tension levels between 5 lbs and 20 lbs.
Different exercises require different tension levels, so it would be great to use a couple of light and heavy bands to work on your lumbar spine effectively.
Wrapping it Up
Bird Dog, Stiff-legged Deadlift, Good Morning, Superman Pull, and Single-leg Deadlift are some of the best exercises for strengthening the lower back muscle with resistance bands.
However, there is no one exercise that is best for everyone. The effectiveness of different exercises will vary between people.
It is most important for you to perform these exercises frequently if you want to build a strong and flexible spine, but it is also crucial to stop if they start to cause pain or discomfort.
References
- 1Low Back Exercises: Stuart McGill’s Big Three – American Council of Exercise
- 2Martín-Fuentes, Isabel et al. “Electromyographic activity in deadlift exercise and its variants. A systematic review.” PloS one vol. 15,2 e0229507. 27 Feb. 2020, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0229507
- 3Vigotsky AD, Harper EN, Ryan DR, Contreras B. Effects of load on good morning kinematics and EMG activity. PeerJ. 2015;3:e708. Published 2015 Jan 6. doi:10.7717/peerj.708
