If I had to pick one thing, I would say that building strength in our glutes (butt muscles) is the best thing you can do to fix your lower back pain. Our glutes are the cornerstone for building a strong body and being able to move without pain. Glutes that aren’t strong enough to support our lifestyle is the most common cause of lower back pain I see in my clinic.
Building strong glutes sets the foundation for good spinal positioning, improves movement coordination in both the upper and lower body, and limits the impact that goes through the structures of our low back (discs, joints, ligaments…etc). They are really the glue that holds everything together.
In this article we’ll show you the best exercises that ANYONE can do to build glute strength without stressing your lower back so you can keep active, strong, and doing what you love…regardless of age.
Bridging
We love the glute bridge because of how effective it is at targeting our glutes and how safe it is for our lower back. It’s also has many variations and is easy to progress/regress depending on your ability level.
Hip Thrust
A more advanced bridging exercise, the hip thrust is one of the best exercises for glute strength and growth. Popularized in the strength performance world, it’s quickly become one of the best ways to build glute strength for less back pain. Adding resistance with bands and weights can make this exercise challenging for all ability levels.
The Squat
The squat is a full body movement that targets the hamstring and glute complex. With any full body movement it’s important to maintain form and control before adding any weight. As with the bridge, there are many progressions to meet you at any ability level.
The Reverse Lunge
The reverse lunge is one of the most functional ways to strengthen our glutes. There are many progressions and variations of the reverse lunge to keep you challenged.
Building strong glutes is just one area to focus on to fix your lower back pain. For a more complete understanding and answers to low back pain be sure to download our free program ‘Solving Pain With Strength’.
Limited By Joint Pain? Get Started With Our Free Program
Solving Pain With Strength: An Approachable, Step-by-Step Strength Program For Adults Limited By Joint Pain
Don’t let back pain keep you from enjoying life. Be sure to check out other some of our other back pain articles for even more help:
- What Causes Lower Back Pain? Treating The Root Cause
- Ten Glute Bridge Progressions To Treat Low Back Pain
- Reasons To STOP Stretching For Lower Back Pain
- What Causes Lower Back Pain? Three Movements To Master
- Causes of Low Back Pain: Three Areas To Strengthen
- Lower Back Pain Causes: How Mobility Issues Can Lead To Back Pain
- Best Exercises To Get Rid Of Lower Back Pain
- How To Fix Lower Back Pain: Three Places To Start
- Ten Step Guide To Treating Chronic Lower Back Pain
- Lower Back Pain Solutions: How To Improve Breathing For Less Back Pain
- The Best Low Impact Strength Exercises For Low Back Pain
- The Best Exercise For Low Back Pain You’re Probably Not Doing
- How To Fix Lower Back Pain With The Hinge
- Five Reasons For Lower Back Pain With Your Squat
- How To Solve Lower Back Pain That Comes And Goes
- How Stiff Ankles Can Cause Lower Back Pain
- What Is The Neutral Spine Position
- How To Find And Keep A Neutral Spine Position