We’ve all heard that sitting is bad for us.

But did you know that our seated, hip flexed, hunched over position may be a huge reason why many of us suffer from low back pain at some point in our lives?

Because our low backs always seem to ache, we then think we just need to make them stronger. So we do more exercises to work them, which often only makes the problem worse.

All too often because we sit too much, our hips become tight and our glutes and abs become underactive. This leads to our low backs becoming overworked.

So instead of working your back more, you need to start working your glutes and abs! These 4 moves will help you get those muscles activated and working!

Glute activation is KEY if you want to prevent low back pain. And when you work those glutes, you need to work all three gluteal muscles. One essential move to target the glute medius, which assists in hip stability and maintaining an even pelvic alignment, is the Mini Band Seated Abduction.

To do the Mini Band Seated Abductions, place a mini band around both legs right below your knees. You can make it easier to activate your glutes by placing the mini band above your knees. Sit on the ground with your hands behind you and place your feet flat on the ground about hip-width apart and about a foot from your butt.

Sit up nice and tall then open your knees out against the band as wide as you can, pressing your hips forward as you actively open your knees up using your glutes. Then, controlling the band, bring your knees back in to about hip-width apart. Do not let your knees cave in. Simply return to the starting position.

Your feet may rock open as you press out on the band, but do not use your legs or rock more to try to get a bigger range of motion. Focus on feeling the outside of your glutes push the band apart.

This is the most basic core engagement technique out there if you want to learn to engage those deep core intrinsic stabilizers that support the spine. Learning to engage these muscles will help develop a stronger core so you stop overloading your low back!

And if you’ve ever felt your low back take over during leg lowers too, this basic move is something you need to work on!

To do the Basic Pelvic Tilt, lie on your back on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Relax your arms down by your sides. As you lie on your back, you should feel a space between your low back and the ground.

Now draw your belly button in toward your spine as you “scoop out” your belly and press your low back into the ground. Feel your abs engage as you press your low back down into the ground. Hold for a count then release. Try to draw your abs in as hard as possible as if “vacuuming” out the air. You can even feel like you are slightly tucking your hip bones up toward your ribs, but do not lift your butt off the ground.

To advance this, you can add in marches, double knee tucks, single leg lowers or double leg lowers, but only as long as you can keep the core engagement.

So often when we have pain in an area, we just focus all of our attention only on that area. But often the imbalances are caused by muscles elsewhere not working as they should – such as the glutes and abs often in the case of low back pain. But the inner thighs can ALSO contribute to our low back, hip and even knee pain.

That is why the Glute Bridge with Squeeze is such a must-do move. This move really builds hip stability by activating the glutes and inner thighs as you learn to proper hip extension without using your low back.

To do the Glute Bridge with Squeeze, bend your knees and place your feet flat on the ground. Start with your feet just beyond your fingertips when you stretch your arms down by your sides and place a block or ball between your knees. Depending on what object you use, you may have to adjust your foot placement so that, when you squeeze the object tight between your knees, your ankles, knees and hips are all in alignment.

Squeeze the block and drive your hips up as high as possible without hyperextending your low back. Squeeze your glutes to lift and brace your abs as you extend your hips and squeeze the block. Feel your glutes and even your inner thighs working to help you bridge and hold the block. Focus on consciously squeezing your glutes at the top and extending your hips. Hold at the top then lower down and repeat.

Prevent Aches And Pains In Just 10 Minutes A Day…

The activation exercises here are just one piece of my RStoration Method to help you eliminate aches and pains for good.

Foam Roll + Stretch + Activate = Eliminate Aches And Pains In Just 10-Minutes A Day!

Learn more –> https://goo.gl/T9nKcT