Doing a lower back extension exercise is an effective way of strengthening the muscles of your back. This type of exercise can be done as a stand-alone exercise or a part of your workout routine. It is one of the best exercises that you can do to strengthen your core abdominal muscles. To do the lower back extension exercise, the platform is essential. Ensure that you follow the guidelines given below to prevent any accidents while working out. When performing the exercise, ensure that you don't fully extend your back and strain your glutes at the top.
Stand straight with both feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Place your legs in a chair so that your lower back is fully extended. Lower the weights slowly into the position and hold for 4 seconds before raising them again.
To do a lower back extension exercise, ensure that your body is in a relaxed state. Do not take heavyweight on the balls of your feet. Also, do not bend your knees while holding the weights. Your arms should be slightly bent at 90 degrees. Your thighs should be parallel to the floor.
After completing one set of sit-ups, do one set of crunches. You can alternate between sitting-ups and crunches if you are able to maintain good form. Perform the exercise while lying on the floor and raise your legs towards the chest. Do not forget to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
You can perform a lower back extension exercise while sitting, standing, or walking. It is important to remain immobile when doing this exercise. Do not bend your knees while lifting the weights. Also, do not dip your knees while bending your waist. If you feel any pain while trying to do the exercise, stop and do a butterfly pose instead.
Some people experience leg cramps when they do lower back extension exercises. The cramp is due to the incorrect technique in performing these exercises. Do not worry. The muscle will be healed in no time after your session ends. A qualified physical therapist can help you with the exercises in curing muscle cramps.
While doing this exercise, it is advisable to stretch your arms behind your back. For this, lay down flat on the mat on your back and gently roll your upper arms towards the chest. Make sure that the arms are perpendicular to the ground. Hold the position for few seconds before putting it off. Repeat this stretch for your other arms.
In doing this exercise, you also need to make sure that your abdominals are relaxed. Do not strain your abdominals when lifting the weights. You can do this by taking a deep breath before lifting the dumbbells. Also, do the crunch by contracting your stomach muscles before, and releasing it when you lower the dumbbells.
Another great abdominal exercise that you can do for your lower back is the ab rocker. This exercise is also ideal for strong core muscles. It requires the person to sit on a bench, with his or her feet crossed. Then he or she has to rotate his or her torso so that the spine keeps on rolling up toward the neck.
There is also another exercise that is similar to the ab rocker, called the knee tucks. For this, the person has to lie on the floor with his or her knees bent. His or her back is then held up with the help of a yoga mat and upper body muscles. The abs are contracted, while the upper body continues to move backward until a person feels enough tension in the abdomen.
Another good abdominal exercise for the lower back is to start to position a stability ball beneath the feet. Next, the person has to extend his or her arms fully to his or her sides. He or she has to keep the upper arms straight and the shoulders back. From this position, the person can continue to do the stability ball back extension exercise by arching the back as far as possible.
However, it is important to remember that this exercise should be done only with the supervision of an experienced yoga practitioner. As the body is not supported by the yoga mat, the chances of encountering injuries are very high. If this happens, it is better to have someone along with you to help support the body while doing the stretching. Moreover, if you cannot afford to buy a yoga mat, you can simply use the large yoga mats available at fitness stores.
