I thought I would put together a new back stability workout for my fellow back pain sufferers. Yeah, that’s right, for those of you who did not know, I struggle with back pain and have since I was in my 20s. I did some stupid things when I was younger (thinking I was invincible, as many young people often do) and I now if I'm not careful and if I don't stay on top of my workouts, I pay for it. In fact, if I don’t intentionally work out on a regular basis (especially focusing on my back), I can find myself dealing with a little stiffness and pain at the least, and laid up on the couch for a couple days at worst. So, I have just resigned myself to the fact that if I want to be pain free, regular exercise is going to be a part of my life for the rest of my life (not that it shouldn’t be anyway).

So, since I know that there are a lot of other people who also deal with back issues, I thought I would share the exercises that I enjoy and I find do the best for my back. With that said, be sure to realize that this works for me and may not be suitable for everyone. So, before jumping in, talk to your doctor or physical therapist to see if this might be the right workout for you.

I have put this together as one routine, but it is actually three in one. Think of it as three different levels of difficulty. Level one is the cooldown stretch, which can be used as a very light mobility routine to help loosen tight muscles ligaments and tendons, allowing your body to fall into better alignment. Level two is the warm up, which can be used as a very light workout for a sore and stiff core to help limber things up a bit and get some much-needed blood flow to the area to help improve healing. Lastly, level three is the actual workout that is focused on building tone and strength to provide long-term stability and control to keep pain from coming back.

This routine can be done in parts, to tackle specific needs at that moment, or as a whole, to keep the core in good overall condition to better handle the demands that life throws at you. Keeping this as part of my weekly routine, on top of my other training, I have been able to decrease the frequency and amount of back pain I experience.

I hope this helps you stave off your back pain or even keep it from ever showing up. 

Do you have go-to workouts or exercises that you have found help reduce your back pain? Let us know what you thought of this routine and other things you do to help keep your back pain at bay in the comment section below.

Workout Structure:
- 1 Set of 10 Exercises
- Intervals of 50 Sec On, 10 Sec Off

Equipment:
- Mat (optional)

Warm Up / Cooldown:
- Both Included

Workout:

Warm Up: (5 Min; 30 Sec Each)
- Standing Toe Touch Circles
- Standing Torso Circles
- Warrior Side Bends
- Cat Cow
- Bird Dog
- Cobra to Shell
- Pilates Leg Pull
- Prone Leg Lifts
- Seated Torso Rotations
- Pilates Saw

Core and Back: (10 Min; 50 On, 10 Off)
- Inch Worm (seated or standing)
- Crunch
- Reverse Crunch
- Windshield Wipers
- Back Bow + Rotation 
- Plank Hip Dips
- Supine Plank Hip Dips
- Side Plank Hip Dips L
- Side Plank Hip Dips R
- Marching Bridge (static hips)

— water break —

Stretch Cooldown: (5 Min; 30 Sec Each)
- Seated Toe Touch
- Seated Hip Stretch
- Seated Side Toe Touch, Chest Forward (L)
- Seated Side Toe Touch, Chest Down (L)
- Seated Side Toe Touch, Chest Forward (R)
- Seated Side Toe Touch, Chest Down (R)
- Leg Pull (L)
- Leg Pull (R)
- Deep Glute (L)
- Deep Glute (R)