Published on June 06, 2025

3 Exercises for Low Back Pain

Author: Ryan Carr, EdD, CSCS, CMPC, SCCC

If you have low back pain, do these spine-strengthening moves two to three days per week. Work up to doing them every day. Warm up for five to 10 minutes with a low-impact activity, such as walking. Get the OK from your doctor before starting.

Bird Dog

Bird Dog exercise depiction

Start on your hands and knees with your shoulders over your hands and your hips over your knees.
Engage your abdominal muscles and raise your right arm straight in front of you to shoulder height.
Slowly extend your left leg straight back behind you in line with your hip.

Hold: 15 seconds | Switch: to opposite arm & leg | Repeat: for a total of 5 times each side

Bridge

Bridge exercise depiction

Lie on your back with your arms along the sides of your body.
Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor.
Engage your abdominal and gluteal muscles and lift your hips away from the floor so that you form one diagonal line from your knees to your hips to your shoulders.

Hold: 15 seconds | Rest: lower hips to floor | Repeat: for a total of 5 times

Crunches

Crunches exercise depiction

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Place your fingertips behind your head and open your elbows to the sides.
Engage your abdominal muscles and lift your head and shoulder blades off the floor. Keep your neck relaxed—don't pull on your head.
Press your back down into the floor and hold.
Slowly lower down to the floor.

Hold: 2 seconds | Repeat: 10 times | Rest | Repeat: again 10 times

Ryan Carr, EdD, CSCS, CMPC, SCCC, is the performance supervisor and a certified mental performance coach at Barton Performance. To learn more about performance training, including mental performance coaching and other wellness services, visit BartonHealth.org or call 530.600.1976.