Low Back on Track

Six moves to release — and relieve — your lower back.

- Lara McGlashan

The world sits. A lot. And according to the National Institutes of Health, eight out of 10 people experience back pain at some point in their lives. Though sedentary living is the No. 1 reason people experience back pain, gym-goers are not exempt: Heavy lifting without adequate stretching can do a number on your lower back, causing chronically tight muscles that can inhibit your range of motion and prevent you from reaching your lifting potential. Tight hip flexors cause your pelvis to tilt anteriorly, allowing your glutes to slack off and making your low-back muscles work double time to support your spine. Tight hamstrings only exacerbate this issue, pulling the pelvis more out of place and adding even more load to the lumbar spine.