COACH’S CORNER By Gary Berglund, CPT, CES, Pn1, RYT-200
Mobility Exercises to Help Ease Lower Back Pain More than 80% of people experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. The location of the pain isn’t always the root cause. Often, the problems lie with another joint in the kinetic chain, a series of joints in our bodies. The hip is a versatile and inherently mobile joint that moves in all three planes of motion, which means a lot can go wrong. When it comes to lower back pain, the most obvious place to start is with the hips, where muscles are often weak and tight. While simple stretches are beneficial, using mobility tools such as foam rollers, balls, bands, and massage guns can help people regain mobility faster.
Adductors
Hip rotators
Hip adductors are stabilizing muscles used to balance and bring the leg toward the midline of the body. They also help keep the pelvis in place, so when they are too tight, back pain is a common side effect.
The muscles that help the hip rotate internally and externally are an often-overlooked piece of the puzzle. When these muscles are weak or tight, people may experience pain in one buttock or both, or down the leg.
LACROSSE BALL OR FOAM ROLLER: Position the inside of your leg over the roller or ball, bending the knee. Roll up and down the length of the muscles, taking your time on sore areas. SUPERBAND: Stand against a wall and loop the band around the back of your waist, and squat down, looping the ends of the band around your knees. Let the band pull your knees apart as you sink into a deep squat. You can also do a gentler version with your back on the floor and feet on the wall.
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LACROSSE BALL OR FOAM ROLLER: Have a seat on the foam roller, and cross your legs in a figure four position. Tilt your body toward the side that is crossed, looking for sore spots. Use the lacrosse ball for smaller areas.
Gary Berglund, a certified personal trainer, corrective exercise specialist, yoga teacher, and nutrition coach, is the founder of Omnifunction, an online fitness and nutrition coaching brand that embraces a non-diet mindset and the practice of exercise to enhance the quality of life. Gary uses behavioral change tactics and takes a Health At Every Size (HAES) approach to coach clients toward their goals. Connect at Omnifunction.us or on Instagram and Facebook at @omnifunction.
