More and more of us have bad backs after years of working with less than ideal ergonomic setups. You might think that doing the odd back stretch will soothe the pain, but you’re better off working a different part of the body to reap the most benefit. 

Our core plays a bigger role in back health than we think. “Back pain can absolutely be caused by weakness in the core as well as tightness in the hip flexors,” says PT Dottie Fildes. “Those problems are predominantly caused by sitting down for long periods of time, so if you’ve got a desk job, the ideal way to combat backache is to create flexibility and mobility around the hips and strengthen the core.” 

Our core weaknesses can even lead to a pelvis that tilts slightly backwards, something Fildes calls ‘duck back’ (technically known as lordosis). “Ideally, we need to stabilise the muscles around the lower spine, as that’s where a lot of movement comes from. That means the glutes, deep internal core, obliques and the front abdominals,” says Fildes.

Remember, the core isn’t just your abs: it involves almost every muscle that isn’t your limbs. The key to core training is building up muscular endurance as well as strength so your core is able to stay strong throughout the day. “I always recommend starting small and then building up – hold the exercises for 20 seconds if that’s possible and then increase the time you perform the moves over the weeks,” says Fildes. 

Plank

There are so many variations of plank to change up the intensity, so whether you’re a beginner or more advanced you can find a way to challenge your core and ease your back pain.

“That might be starting on your hands and knees or doing a full plank but with your hands on a raised surface like a chair or box and then gradually looking to decrease the height of that to make it harder,” says Fildes. 

1. On a flat surface, lie with your stomach on the ground, hands under your armpits with elbows by your ribs and toes tucked under
2. Lift yourself onto your hands and feet so that your body is one straight line parallel to the floor
3. Make sure that your bum isn’t sticking up the air and that you’re not collapsing into your lower back. Hands are directly under shoulders, again in one straight line
4. Imagine that you’ve got a £20 note between your bum cheeks – keep your glutes and thigh muscles engaged to stop it from flying away
5. Brace your core by sucking your belly button in. That’ll help prevent collapsing into your lower back and will help get those ab muscles working
6. Choose a spot slightly ahead of you to concentrate on. Your neck should be parallel to the floor
7. Remember to breathe!

Glute bridge

This simple exercise isolated the main muscles glutes to build strength. Once you’re comfortable with a floor bridge, move onto a hip thrust, placing the back of your shoulders on a raised surface and placing a weight across your hips for an extra challenge. 

1. Come down onto your back with your feet flat on the ground, hip width apart and tucked just underneath your hips
2. Squeeze the belly button into the spine, tuck the hips under, and begin pushing through the middle of the foot and heel as you lift your hips up off of the floor
3. Make sure not to lift the heels off of the ground and keep the hips and ribs tucked in
4. Once you’re at the top, squeeze, and begin rolling back down to the floor, maintaining control as you lower the spine
5. Repeat

Clamshells

“These target the outer sides of your glutes to stabilise the pelvis and hips,” explains Fildes. 

These are performed by lying on your side, with your hips, knees and feet stacked on top of each other. Bring your knees towards your chest so your feet are in line with your bum, and lift the top knee towards the sky. 

1. Lie on your left side with your hips and knees bent at 45°
2. Stack your right leg on top of your left leg, heels together
3. Keeping your feet together and left leg on the floor, raise your right knee as high as you can without your heels coming apart
4. Pause, then return to the starting position

Side plank

Also focused on the side body, this move targets the obliques for spine stability.

1. Start balancing on both hands and feet in a regular plank
2. Slowly bring your right hand off the floor – pushing into that left hand – and rotate to bring that right arm straight above you
3. Either stack both feet on top of each other, place both feet on the floor in a slightly staggered stance or bend the bottom leg so the knee rests on the floor while keeping the top leg straight and off the ground
4. Actively lift through the side of your body as you continue to hold
5. Hold until you can’t hold anymore, then repeat two more times for a core strengthening sequence

90/90

“This exercise uses what we call internal hip rotation to build strength and flexibility in the weak and tight joint,” says Fildes. 

1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended out in front of you
2. Bend your left knee to a 90 degree angle so your left foot is parallel to your right hip. Take your right leg to the side and bend your right knee to a 90° angle so your foot is behind you
3. Take your right knee off of the floor and begin to twist it to the opposite side
4. Let your left knee follow, keeping your feet in contact with your mat, until your hips are twisted into the opposite position
5. Repeat slowly, twisting from side to side

Images: Getty