Three bodyweight exercises to strengthen your core and lower back, according to an expert

As our lives become more sedentary, lower back pain is more common than ever. If this is something you’re familiar with then it’s time to turn your attention to your core. With a little consistency, these three exercises from Personal Trainer Coach Milad, co-creator of the popular Instagram channel, TailoredFitPT, could massively help. All you need is a little space and something soft to go beneath you.

“Strengthening the core through specific exercises can provide essential support to the lower back, reducing the risk of pain and injury,” Coach Milad writes on his post. Research supports this too. A meta-analysis in the Journal of Athletic Training, which compared general exercise and core exercises for the treatment of chronic lower back pain, found that the latter was more successful in relieving pain. This is because our core muscles help maintain spinal stability, which can also improve our posture, boost our athletic performance ,and help us move better as a whole.

As we mentioned earlier, no specific equipment is needed for this routine, just yourself and an exercise mat. Coach Milad hasn't specified specific reps or sets, so we’ve advised some below and would suggest trying to perform this routine three times a week for optimal results. Once the exercises become easy, you can increase their intensity by increasing the reps/hold time, or adding in some light resistance, like a small dumbbell or kettlebell. Here are Coach Milad’s exercises:

• Bird dogs 3 x 10-12 reps (each side)
• Dead bugs 3 x 10-12 reps (each side)
• Side planks 3 x 45 seconds (hold on each side)

As well as doing core strengthening exercises, Coach Milad says it’s also essential to improve your hip mobility, to relieve stress on the lower back, and compound exercises, like squats and deadlifts. Not sure where to start? Give their seven-minute hip routine a go or, to work on your compound lifts, try this five-move full-body dumbbell workout.