LITTLE ROCK — Lower back muscles are notoriously difficult to warm up prior to activity. Even after performing a cardiovascular exercise for five to 10 minutes, the lower back can remain stiff and inflexible in the first part of your strength routine.
This week, I’ll shed some light on preparing this muscle group for action and introduce an exercise designed to do exactly that.
Unlike biceps or triceps, the lower back is largely responsible for supporting the center of your body’s musculoskeletal system, the spine. Other muscles assist the lower back in this function, but maintaining a strong and flexible lower back can be the difference between an active lifestyle and chronic pain.
Depending on the source, the lower back consists of four major muscles (or muscle groups). Last week we talked about the psoas major. There’s also the latissumus dorsi, quadratus lumborum, and the deep back muscles (like erector spinae). While all these muscles have various functions within the overall musculoskeletal system, they are all partly responsible for protecting and supporting the spine.
In general, the lower back muscles will fire during trunk extending and hip extending motions, so a quality lower back warm-up routine should involve one or both of these. The goal of any warm-up should be to increase blood flow to the target muscles, thereby improving muscle performance and joint flexibility. The lower back is certainly no different.
A lower back warm-up should be performed prior to almost any fitness activity, but the most critical are activities involving trunk twisting. Golf,tennis and softball are good examples of sports that involve a great deal of twisting and therefore place a great amount of stress on the lower back musculature. If you enjoy one or more of these sports, be sure to engage in a lower back warm-up.
This week’s exercise, the Standing Quadruped, is a tidy warm-up for those of you looking to loosen up your back prior to activity. It requires no equipment and can be done anywhere from the tennis court to the driving range.
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Place your left hand on your left hip.
Fully extend your right hand and arm high over the right shoulder.
Fully extend your left leg and lift your left foot off the floor.
From this position, move your right hand diagonally downward as you simultaneously move your left leg diagonally upward. The right arm and left leg are still completely outstretched.
Once the leg and hand come within a foot of touching, reverse the direction back to the starting position for each.
So, you have this “opening” and “closing” motion with the right arm and left leg. As a result, the lower back and core muscles stretch and strengthen in a diagonal pattern, like when you walk or run.
Perform two sets of 15, then switch sides and repeat.
This exercise is particularly useful when you’re running behind and need to do a quick lower back warm-up before activity. It’s fast, easy and effective. Enjoy!
Matt Parrott has a doctorate in education (sport studies), a master’s in kinesiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.
ActiveStyle, Pages 28 on 07/30/2012