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No-equipment “hands up” workout
This workout can help strengthen your spinal muscles while working on your balance using your core, glutes and legs. And maintaining your arms up during the whole workout will make your shoulders burn. Take your time to perform each exercise in a slow controlled motion.

  • 20 squats
  • 20 alternative backward lunges
  • 20 walking lunges (or alternative forward lunges if you don’t have enough space available)
  • 20 bird dogs
  • 10 warrior III yoga poses on right leg
  • 10 warrior III yoga poses on left leg
  • 10 get down & up starting with right leg (stay in a squat position when you’re up, make those legs burn!)
  • 10 get down & up starting with left leg

It will take you around 25 minutes to perform this circuit 3 times. Keep your abs engaged to protect your lower back!

For more information and ideas to warm up and stretch before and after this workout, please check out the whole post on my Wordpress-blog: www.fitnesstreats.com/2012/04/hands-up-workout

Source fitnesstreats.com

‘How to’ video on back extensions. A good exercise to finish up your glute/leg routine. “Don’t stop at neutral; come up the extra bit at the hips by squeezing the glutes - it’s much harder this way.”

Hi, I've been doing a lot of core recently and my lower back has really been hurting. I think I hurt it doing flutter kicks and leg lifts and forgoing proper form at points. I'm just wondering what I should do to help my back and how I can keep my abs strong while I wait for it to heal. Thanks so much!

rightsortofleft


Hi Madeline,

Your lower back pain is probably due to a sudden physical loading of the back (either you didn’t warm up long enough or as you said your form wasn’t perfect) resulting in muscle or soft tissues sprain or strain in your lower back. 

Your core is actually made of your abs muscle and lower back muscles. They work together to hold the trunk erect. 

The lower back is an antagonist muscle to the abdominals. An antagonist muscle basically makes its counterpart. For example, the triceps are the antagonist to the biceps. This means the triceps helps the biceps when performing a biceps curl. Every muscle has an antagonist working alongside it. The lower back helps the abs doing their job, and the abs helps protect the lower back. It’s impossible to do abs without working your lower back a bit too or doing lower back exercises without contracting your abs. 

Lower back training needs to be taken seriously, and carefully, so that the muscle does not get overly strained. 99% of people totally neglect the lower back. So wait for your lower back to heal before doing any core exercise again. When you feel ready to work out your lower back, ease into it so you don’t over-train and possibly injure yourself again. Here is a video with a few lower back moves: http://fitnesstreats.tumblr.com/post/10765966307/this-is-a-video-i-edited-for-erica-a-trainer-at

hello!! first of all i really like your blog! also i would like to ask u a question: i study most of the time and usually i don't sit in a proper position so now i have a lower back pain and i noticed that i don't walk with my back straight anymore (i tend to tilt it..) so i was wondering if there are any short exercises that i can do everyday to relief my back ? any help would be appreciated! best of luck! :)

sara-lilly


Hi! Here are 3 exercises that specifically target the lower back: http://fitnesstreats.tumblr.com/post/10765966307/this-is-a-video-i-edited-for-erica-a-trainer-at 

However, sitting for hours is bad for you even if you maintain good posture. Try to take breaks and go for short walks.

I also sometimes work standing instead of sitting by placing a pile of books under my computer, mouse and keyboard. I feel more alert when standing. If you give standing a try, remember that you’ll need to ease into it for short periods of time for about a week before it becomes less uncomfortable. The increased energy and focus compared to sitting may be worth the effort. Here are some interesting articles about standing desks: www.greatist.com/health/use-a-sit-stand-workstation

This is a video I edited for Erica, a trainer at my gym. It’s a lower back routine: 
- 15 hip raises
- 15 bird dogs
- 15 back extensions
Repeat circuit 2 more times.  

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