How to bend correctly to avoid lower back pain

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You may not realize it, but the way you bend over can increase your risk of developing lower back pain, a common musculoskeletal (MSK) condition. Try these back pain prevention tips to improve your posture, build muscle and reduce your risk of injury.

The link between posture and preventing back pain

Let’s start with a simple test. Stand up. Throw something small on the floor, like a pencil or piece of paper. Then, pick up the item.

Did you:

• Bend at the waist?
• Hinge at the hips?
• Not quite sure?

A quick review of some key anatomy:

• Your waist is located just above your belly button and just below your rib cage. When you bent over to pick up that object, it’s likely you bent at your waist, or your stomach, curving your back like a “C,” or a cashew.
• The hips are located at each side of the widest portion of your pelvic area. If you are hinging at the hip, you are allowing your pelvic area to move backward, like a hinge. Your back is straight.

If you bend at the waist, you are rounding your back and placing strain on your spine to pick up the item. If you hinge at the hips, you are using your glutes (buttocks) and hamstrings (back of the legs) to support your body weight and pick up the item.

How bending incorrectly causes back pain

When you bend at the waist, you are rounding your back, which puts stress on the spine. Repeatedly bending this way, like when you’re doing yardwork, moving items in your home or lifting weights, can lead to overuse and injury.

If you’re experiencing back pain, don’t ignore it. Early intervention can reduce existing back pain and prevent it from getting worse.

Correct posture for back pain prevention

When you bend over, hinge at the hips, and engage your glutes and hamstrings. As you come up, keep your core (abs) engaged.

Think of it this way: Essentially, you are using your hips to bend instead of your spine. Your back should be flat, like a table. Not rounded.

The hip hinge can help improve your back and spine health. It also stretches your hamstrings, strengthens your hips and glutes and creates a strong foundation for the way you move.

The squat vs. the hinge: movements that prevent back pain

Whether you should squat or hinge depends on what you're aiming to accomplish. For example, the hinge should be used for bending over to pick something up. The squat is more appropriate for building strength to support a healthier back.

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For bending over, perform the hinge.

For building strength, perform the squat.

The hinge

1. With feet shoulder-width apart, engage or tighten your core and squeeze your middle back (shoulder blades together).
2. With your knees slightly bent, push your hips back, maintaining a flat back with the chest up and core engaged.
3. Throughout the entire movement, focus on using your core, shoulder blades, glutes and hamstrings. Don’t round your back.

The squat

1. Place your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart, with your back straight, core engaged and chest upright.
2. Start the squat by pushing your hips back and down, as if you are going to sit in a chair.
3. As you descend into the squat, keep the weight on your heels and drive your knees out slightly, while remaining flat-footed.
4. When returning to starting position, push through your heels (not the toes) with your chest up and core engaged.

The squat is easy to learn, there’s a low risk of injury, you don’t need equipment and it engages multiple muscle groups at the same time. If done correctly, the squat strengthens all the muscles that help with your lower back — the hamstrings, the glutes and your core — which is necessary to prevent back pain as you age.

Regularly doing this movement can help maintain your mobility as you age. Squatting helps build your balance and strengthens the muscles you need to do things like getting up and out of chairs.

More squat tips:

• When descending into a squat, aim to get the crease of your hips slightly below your knees.
• Start with three sets of 8–12 squats and gradually add more repetitions.

More fitness advice to prevent and reduce back pain

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