12 March 2023
How to Recover From a Sports Injury With Exercise, Without Making It Worse
Tips to improve on your lower back pain
Lower back pain is one of the most common health problems faced by people today.
It can be caused by a variety of reasons, including poor posture, weak muscles, and injuries.
Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) and strength training can help to alleviate lower back pain and prevent future problems.
In this article, we will explore the top 5 ways to strengthen your lower back using FRC and strength training.
Functional Range Conditioning and Strength Training
Introduction
The lower back is a complex structure that supports the weight of the upper body.
It is made up of five vertebrae, muscles, ligaments, and nerves.
Lower back pain is a common problem faced by people of all ages.
It can be caused by poor posture, weak muscles, and injuries.

Functional Range Conditioning and strength training can help to alleviate lower back pain and prevent future problems.
Understanding the Lower Back
The lower back is an essential part of the body that supports the upper body's weight.
It is made up of five vertebrae, which are the largest in the spinal column.
The lower back is also home to several muscles, including the erector spinae, quadratus lumborum, and gluteus maximus.

These muscles work together to support the spine, hips, and pelvis.
Benefits of Functional Range Conditioning and Strength Training
Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) is a system of mobility training that focuses on improving joint health and range of motion.
Strength training involves exercises that target specific muscles to improve their strength and endurance.
Together, FRC and strength training can help to alleviate lower back pain and prevent future problems.
FRC and strength training can help to improve flexibility, stability, and mobility, which are essential for maintaining a healthy lower back.

These exercises can also help to strengthen the muscles in the lower back, which can help to prevent injuries and improve posture.
Top 5 Ways to Strengthen Your Lower Back
Cat-Camel FRC
Cat-Camel FRC is a mobility exercise that can help to improve spinal flexibility and reduce lower back pain.
It targets the erector spinae, which are the muscles that run along the spine.
To perform Cat-Camel FRC, start on your hands and knees with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
Inhale as you arch your back and lift your head and tailbone towards the ceiling.
Exhale as you round your spine, tucking your chin to your chest and pressing your hands and knees into the ground.
Hip CARs
Hip CARs (Controlled Articular Rotations) are a mobility exercise that can help to improve hip joint health and prevent lower back pain.
They target the hip joint and surrounding muscles.
To perform Hip CARs, lie on your back with your legs straight and your arms by your sides.
Bend your right knee and place your right foot on the ground.
Slowly rotate your right hip inward, bringing your knee towards your chest.

Then, slowly rotate your hip outward, bringing your knee out to the side.
Return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are one of the best exercises for strengthening the lower back.
They target the erector spinae, glutes, and hamstrings.
Deadlifts can be performed with a barbell, dumbbells, or kettlebells.
To perform a deadlift, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed forward.
Place your hands on the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Bend your knees and hips to lower your body down to the bar.
Keep your back straight and your core tight.
Lift the bar off the ground by extending your hips and knees.
Bridges
Bridges are another great exercise for strengthening the lower back.
They target the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back muscles.
To perform a bridge, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.
Place your arms by your sides with your palms facing down.
Lift your hips off the ground by squeezing your glutes and pushing through your heels.

Hold this position for a few seconds, then lower your hips back down to the ground.
Hip Hinges
Hip hinges are an excellent exercise for strengthening the lower back and improving mobility.
They target the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back muscles.
To perform a hip hinge, stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointing forward, and hands on your hips.
Keeping your spine straight, hinge forward at the hips, pushing your hips back and keeping your knees slightly bent.
As you hinge forward, keep your core engaged and your back straight.

Return to the starting position by squeezing your glutes and pushing your hips forward.
Conclusion
Lower back pain is a common problem faced by people of all ages.
Functional Range Conditioning and strength training can help to alleviate lower back pain and prevent future problems.
The top 5 ways to strengthen your lower back using FRC and strength training are deadlifts, bridges, hip hinges, Cat-Camel FRC, and Hip CARs.

These exercises can help to improve flexibility, stability, and mobility, which are essential for maintaining a healthy lower back.
If you've got a persistent sports injury, a dodgy knee, a shoulder that never fully healed, a lower back that flares up every time you try to train, you're probably frustrated.
You might have had physio. You might have rested for months. And yet the problem keeps coming back.
Here's why: rest and passive treatment alone rarely fix the underlying cause of a sports injury.
The root of most recurring injuries is weakness or movement dysfunction and the only way to address those is through progressive, targeted exercise.
The Most Common Mistake in Injury Recovery
Most people either rest completely (which weakens the area further) or return to full training too soon (which re-injures the same structures).
The sweet spot is a structured rehabilitation programme that progressively loads the injured area in a controlled way.
As a Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist (FRCms), I assess joint function before building a programme that specifically targets the movement restrictions and weaknesses driving your injury.
What an Exercise-Based Rehab Programme Looks Like
- Week 1–2: Joint assessment and movement re-education, teaching the body to move properly around the injury
- Week 3–4: Controlled strength work at the end of the available range of motion
- Week 5–8: Progressive loading, building strength and resilience in the injured tissue
- Week 9–12: Sport or activity-specific conditioning, preparing for return to full training
Why This Works
Tendons, ligaments and muscles respond to load. When you progressively challenge them with controlled exercise, they adapt and become stronger.
When you avoid using them, they weaken. The research is clear: exercise-based rehabilitation produces better long-term outcomes than rest alone for the vast majority of musculoskeletal injuries.
Getting Started in Orpington
Conditioned Fitness in Orpington offers sports injury rehabilitation programmes with Massimo Massaro BSc FRCms. One of very few personal trainers in South East London with an advanced qualification specifically in joint health and mobility.
Sessions are 100% private, 1:1, and tailored to your injury and your goals.
If you're dealing with a persistent sports injury in the Orpington, Bromley, or Sevenoaks area, call
07950 398025 to book a free assessment.
