You asked:
What’s the best exercise to strengthen the lower back?
Our response:
This is a tricky question to answer as it would all depend on the person asking. In general, the most beneficial exercise would be one that is difficult for the individual, but that they can still perform with control and good technique. If the exercise is too hard and you aren’t able to perform it correctly, it isn’t going to be all that beneficial. Alternatively, if it’s too easy, then you’re not going to make any actual strength gains.
Typically, we would strengthen the lower back through functional exercise. It would be extremely rare for a physio to give you an isolated lower back strengthening exercise. ”Functional” exercise means incorporating movements that recruit muscles to both use and stabilize the back – often simulating tasks you may do in daily life. A great example of this would be a deadlift. This is similar to something we do regularly in life – picking something up off the ground. It trains multiple muscle groups while loading and stabilizing the spine. So, while not necessarily appropriate for everyone (we’re not saying it’s the “most” beneficial); it certainly is a favourite around here.