Are you suffering with acute or chronic low back pain? Do you often feel tightness or stiffness in your low back area? We have found that most of our patients with low back pain have trouble activating their glutes. Seems odd but what happens when your glute muscles don’t work properly, you make your low back muscles work overtime. No one likes to work overtime, especially the back. Have you ever heard the saying, “it was the straw that broke the camel’s back?” Well that isn’t necessarily true. Your body and especially your back probably have been giving you some kind of warning signs over the years but with everything else that life throws our way, it is easy to ignore the warning signs until you literally can’t move correctly anymore. Stop ignoring the signs and start doing something about it. Keep these simple yet effective exercises in mind to do daily to keep that back healthy and strong. Of course in addition to these exercises, Mindful Chiropractic would love to be your chiropractor of choice to get you out of pain and moving well!

1. Hip Flexor Stretch

• Try doing this stretch seated or standing
• Great to do if you sit at a desk all day
• 3 sets of 30 seconds, 3 times daily

2. Clam Shells

• Great to strengthen your gluteus medius/minimus
• Keep you hip forward
• You should NOT feel this in your back
• 3 sets of 10, or to fatigue

3. Hip Series

• Technique is key in this series
• Keep your hip forward
• Keep your foot flexed
• 3x10 up and down, clockwise and counter-clockwise the size of a basektball