Warm-Up Routine for Back Pain Relief If you’re dealing with back pain, I get it—so am I. After herniating my L4/L5 on deployment and C6/C7 during SFRE, I’ve dealt with radiculopathy, nerve damage, and daily discomfort. While I’ve adapted my workouts to avoid high-risk movements like barbell deadlifts and squats, I’ve found that a proper warm-up can make a world of difference. These are my top three back-focused warm-up stretches: 1. Pigeon Pose
Benefits: * Relieves tight hips and glutes, common contributors to lower back pain. * Improves flexibility in the hips and lower back.
Muscles Stretched: Glutes, piriformis, hip flexors, lower back. 2. Medicine Ball Trunk Rotations
Benefits: * Eases stiffness in the lower and mid-back. * Improves rotational mobility and spinal flexibility.
Muscles Worked: Obliques, lower back, and spinal rotators. 3. Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
Benefits: * Loosens tight hip flexors caused by sitting or desk work. * Improves posture and alleviates pelvic misalignment.
Muscles Stretched: Hip flexors (psoas and iliacus), quads, and anterior thighs. These stretches have been a game-changer for me. I’ve also got nerve ablations scheduled, so I’ll keep you updated on how they go. I hope this routine helps you as much as it helps me! Let me know your thoughts after trying them. Let me know any tips you have to help with your back pain in the comments!
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