Lower Back-SMR
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back, using a foam roller.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Lower Back-SMR
- In a seated position, place a foam roll under your lower back. Cross your arms in front of you and protract your shoulders. This will be your starting position.
- Raise your hips off of the floor and lean back, keeping your weight on your lower back. Now shift your weight slightly to one side, keeping your weight off of the spine and on the muscles to the side of it. Roll over your lower back, holding points of tension for 10-30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Lower Back-SMR
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Cat Stretch
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back.
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2
Child's Pose
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back.
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3
Dancer's Stretch
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back.
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4
Hug A Ball
A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the lower back, using an exercise ball.
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5
Hug Knees To Chest
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back.
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6
Pyramid
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back, using an exercise ball.
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7
Standing Pelvic Tilt
A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the lower back.
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8
Superman
A beginner compound mobility exercise that works the lower back, needing no equipment.
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9
Crossover Reverse Lunge
An intermediate mobility exercise that works the lower back.
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10
Pelvic Tilt Into Bridge
An intermediate compound mobility exercise that works the lower back.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do lower back-smr work?
Lower Back-SMR primarily works the lower back.
What equipment do I need for lower back-smr?
Lower Back-SMR uses foam roller.
Lower Back-SMR: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Lower Back-SMR is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.
What can I do instead of lower back-smr?
Cat Stretch, Child's Pose, Dancer's Stretch train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
How do I log lower back-smr in Fitnit?
As time held rather than reps. Fitnit records the seconds and credits them to the lower back on your body map, so you can see which muscles you train hard and never stretch.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your Lower Back-SMR with AI
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