This Easy Exercise Can Concurrently Help Relieve Low Back Pain and Ease Tight Hamstrings, In line with a PT

Strained tendons? Lower back pain? Weak pelvic floor? Just had a baby? Dr. Ghost says this quick but effective move can give you the results you want, as it can make it easier to connect with your “nervous canister”, strengthen your hamstrings, and activate your inner thighs – and you almost certainly won’t even break a sweat. (Also, it feels really good, trust us.)

in recent Instagram postDr Duch wrote: “I even have really useful a version of this several times this week for somebody with back pain, someone with ‘strained’ hamstrings, and someone attempting to reconnect to the core container after having a baby.”

So, uh, what’s your principal canister?

These days, when fitness data says “core,” they often mean abs. But your principal canister actually includes your diaphragm, abs, hips, back, and pelvic floor, Dr. Duch says. So much of our pain on this area is because of an imbalance of strength, resulting in some muscles doing more work than others to compensate.

This particular exercise is so powerful since it prompts all of those muscle groups without delay. “We wish to be certain that each one areas of this canister are called upon for help,” says Dr. Duch. “It distributes the work within the core container more evenly.”

try it

Want to do that holy grail? Here’s how:

1. Lie in your back along with your feet propped up at a 90-degree angle on a couch or chair.
2. Place a sponge ball or rolled towel between your inner thighs and press your lower back against the ground.
3. Inhale, flex your feet, and press your heels into the couch or chair until your butt is just an inch or two off the bottom, gently squeezing the ball between your legs.
4. Take three to 5 long, measured breaths while hovering. Think of expanding your chest as you inhale and lifting your pelvic floor as you exhale.
5. Slowly lower your butt back to the ground and shake your muscles.
6. Repeat this three to 5 times.

A word of warning: this will be quite a bit on your hamstrings at times. If you discover that your muscles contract while you lift yourself up, Dr. Ghost suggests keeping your butt on the ground and pressing your heels gently into the couch or chair. This continues to activate and strengthen the hamstrings without limping.

Try incorporating this circuit into your each day routine, either as a stand-alone exercise or as a warm-up, and see how your back, hips, and hamstrings feel. It is probably not a cure-all, however it may prevent an expensive trip to chiro.