Lower back pain in 9/10 people we work with is caused from:
A lack of core stability;
Core dysfunction;
Hip tightness or;
Hip dysfunction
While this is true for most people and we offer some tips below, we do recommend getting checked out by a physio or other health professional to ensure there is no deeper level pathology going on.
Function
Firstly let’s look at core, the number 1 indicator of how well your core is functioning is to look at how breathing works. We want to be able to breathe deep down into our diaphragms, in essence fill the abdominal cavity up with pressure as your lungs expand downwards. This pressure builds the strength in your core muscles allowing the muscles in your lower back to function as part of the whole team rather than being overworked on their own.
Along with this we want to make sure the supporting structures are working well. An imbalanced pelvis position, tight high flexors / quads and weak glutes are common in bouldering, and for those of us that sit often. Here a couple of exercises to work on these:
Leg Lock Hip Bridge: https://youtu.be/8zvPyfSsLe0
Quad roll outs: https://youtu.be/nl3yQnTIpEQ
2. Banded Awareness
Wrap a band (a shoelace is perfect) around your belly button line, and tie it just tight enough that it sits there. It doesn’t have to be super tight. As you breathe you should feel your belly expand and increase the tension on the band. If you can’t feel a change it's a good sign you are chest breathing. We want to change this for 2 reasons, core tension and reducing stress.
Once you understand how to breathe “through your belly”, we want to train to be able to breathe like this all the time. The next step can be an exercise like Dead Bugs. This is perfect for setting your spine in a good position and starting to breath well.
3. Basic Loading
Here’s a video of Dead Bugs: https://youtu.be/Ek0BprUUBlY
4. Intermediate Loading
Find that easy? Live Bugs are a good way to progress: https://youtu.be/Yt4I160-5ik
5. Advanced Loading
Once you have both of these mastered, try to apply this style of breathing to your climbing. Try to regulate your levels of psyche between hard and easy moves. You don’t need to be fully psyched for the easy moves. This will help you save energy.
Hopefully these tips help to reduce your back pain and keep you sending!
