“Ohhhh, my aching back!” If you follow some of these lower back exercises, you may not have to say these words quite as often as you have been. The importance of strong back muscles for weight training should just be good common sense, but you’d be surprised how many people start out their exercise routines with less than adequate back muscle strength.

This usually ends up with them having a sore back (or worse) and the exercise routines are put away and forgotten about due to the pain involved. If people would simply take the time to do some simple back-strengthening exercises these workout sessions wouldn’t be nearly as hard - or as painful. It’s especially important with back exercises to make sure that you do a few warm up exercises before you get into the real workout. A few minutes of simple walking in place will help limber you up. If you’re lucky enough to have an exercise bike or elliptical trainer then get on and do some slow movement exercises. It's essential to get as much flexibility into your muscles as possible before you start working on them. Warm up exercises get your back ready for strength exercises by increasing the circulation of blood to those muscles you’ll be targeting. Stretching exercises are also always a good idea when preparing to strengthen lower back muscles. Afterwards, it’s always a good idea to stretch your back muscles again, as strength training tends to contract lower back muscles a bit. One of the best exercises you can do to strengthen your lower back muscles is this one: While lying on a mat with your legs straight out, lift your legs up using only your abdominal muscles and your hip flexors. Lift them up to a perpendicular position above your body and then slowly lower them down again. A spotter can increase the resistance on the muscles by throwing the person’s legs down towards the floor at the top of the arc movement. The person doing the exercise needs to be aware of this added resistance before it happens so that the back muscles aren’t strained. Another great exercise that strengthens the lower back muscles begins with the person lying face down on a mat with their heels firmly tucked under a couch (or being held in place by a spotter). Your arms should at your sides with your palms against your body. Slowly start to raise your chest off the floor as high as you can comfortably and stay in place for a few seconds. Lower your chest down and repeat this process, gradually making it to twenty repetitions. You’ll soon be able to feel this strengthening exercise targeting against the lower back muscles. As with any exercise program you attempt, you should always talk your routine over with your doctor to ensure that there are no exercises that he or she feels you should be wary of or avoid altogether. Having stronger lower back muscles will help you to prevent injuries while working out and doing other exercises for your total body workout. It’s also important to remember that having strong and healthy abdominal muscles is just as crucial to preventing lower back pain. The muscles in the back and abdominal areas work together to make sure that your body stays in the proper form while exercising. Try some of these abdominal exercises here to strengthen your core.