By Dr. Joshua Kiely, DC

Before we get started:

• This article is not health advice. It only describes how to perform some exercises and how to incorporate them into a healthy lifestyle.

• If you’re having pain, I highly recommend an assessment with a qualified professional before starting a new exercise program. Most often, with some small tweaks to lifestyle and movement we can have you more comfortable and able to enjoy your new exercise routine safely and often. (psssttt… I know a guy)

The Basics

The Side Bridge, Bird-Dog and Curl-Up are excellent beginner endurance building exercises targeting the low back. Research has shown that all exercise, but perhaps especially those that improve the endurance of our back and core muscles may be helpful in reducing low back pain.

I frequently implement some variation of these exercises into my treatment plans when they suit a patient’s goal. It’s especially fun to get creative with patients during chiropractic home visits in Ottawa West to find ways of challenging them to stimulate progress using household items!

There are several ways we could program these exercises into a plan. A simple beginner’s method is to perform three sets of each exercise programmed so that each successive set becomes easier on paper but will be challenging due to a build up of fatigue.

Let’s go through each exercise and create a potential program.

Side Bridge

I love this exercise for building endurance in muscles throughout the midsection, shoulder, hip, and low back. The side bridge position is also useful to master because there are many fun variations we can perform out of this position as we become more proficient (think moving arms, legs, adding bands etc.)

Set 1: Hold the Side Bridge on each side for 10 seconds.
Rest 30-60 seconds.
Set 2: Hold the Side Bridge on each side for 8 seconds.
Rest 30-60 seconds.
Set 3: Hold the Side Bridge on each side for 6 seconds.

Curl-Up

The beginner program for the Curl-Up should start with a primary focus on good form and slow movement. We’ll progress to longer holds in no-time (no pun intended), so it’s best to build great habits first.

Set 1: Perform 4 repetitions (reps) with a 1-second hold at the top of each with right knee bent. Repeat with left knee bent.
Rest 30-60 seconds.
Set 2: Perform 3 reps with a 1-second hold at the top of each with right knee bent. Repeat with left knee bent.
Rest 30-60 seconds.
Set 3: Perform 2 with a 1-second hold at the top of each with right knee bent. Repeat with left knee bent.

The Bird-Dog

There are certain exercises that always look easy and end up kicking your ass. The Bird-Dog is in that category. It’s easy to fly through it and let your back sway and twist, but if our main goal of this exercise is producing stiffness, then we want to use cues that let us avoid that. To ensure I’m only moving through the shoulder or hip joint, I pop a water bottle on my low back and try not to let it fall off - a cellphone, keys, or stuffed animal would also work.

I like to start most patients with an arm-lift only (it’s harder than it looks!). Next we progress to a leg lift only. Only when we’ve mastered these two variations do we perform arm and leg lifts simultaneously and begin to add more challenges to the Bird-Dog exercise.

Set 1: Raise your right arm and hold out ahead of you for 5 seconds (pretend that you’re trying to punch the air directly in front of your head). Repeat with your left arm.
Rest 30-60 seconds.
Set 2: Raise your right arm and hold out ahead of you for 4 seconds. Repeat with your left arm.
Rest 30-60 seconds.
Set 3: Raise your right arm and hold out ahead of you for 3 seconds. Repeat with your left arm.

The main focus of these exercises

The times held or repetitions performed when you first start these back exercises is not nearly as important as performing the movement well and listening to your body.

Something I find helps most patients really engage the muscles were trying to improve is to focus on taking big deep breathes throughout the exercise. For example, if you’re planning to hold the side bridge for 10 seconds, take 10 deep breathes in that set.

The goal of all strength and endurance exercise is to improve over time. As long as these exercises are performed consistently a minimum of twice a week, you will see improvement.

Improvement in exercise capability can take time, so it’s best to measure progress in months instead of weeks to avoid frustration.

Why is a chiro talking about exercise?

As a chiropractor working in Ottawa I see a lot of people with sore backs or struggling with their performance at work or in sport. Most times, the best tools for improving these aches and pains is education and exercise.

Manual therapy and spinal manipulation therapy play a role in reducing symptoms and pain, but I truly believe that the best long-term plan of care is building self-efficacy in all my patients and giving them the tools and knowledge they need to fix most issues themselves… we wouldn’t want to bring our car to the mechanic (and pay those hefty bills) every time we needed air in our tires or windshield washer fluid, and I think caring for our bodies shouldn’t be much different.

With the right instruction and reassurance, many of us can take care of the small things, knowing we can always seek help when it seems we’re in over our heads (that’s when I come in!).

If you don’t know where to start with your back pain, or feel that you’re in over your head, please get in touch. I’d be happy to work with you on moving your health and performance forward toward your goals.