Posture: Correct the Exaggerated Arch in Your Lower Back with these Easy Posture Exercises
Wouldn’t you like to have good posture? If you want to correct the exaggerated curve in your back, you can do that with exercise.
Do you suffer from lower back pain? It’s likely because you have a larger than normal arch in your spine.
In this article, I reveal the basic exercises to correct your increased lower back posture. I’ve added some advanced exercises you can do after you’ve mastered the basics.
Posture: Correct An Excessive Low Back Curve
Your lower back and your neck both curve forward, the curve is called a lordosis. It is normal posture to have a lordosis in your neck and lower back.
While surfing the net, I’ve noticed a lot of incorrect information out there on posture. Many web sites are giving out the wrong information and it seems like there are many copies of this same wrong information on many other websites.
See Also: 4 Upper Back Exercises To Improve Posture
As a practicing Chiropractor, I’d like to make sure you have correct information as you research posture.
When your lordosis has more of a curve than average, it’s called hyperlordosis. Hyper means excessive, as in a hyperactive child. So, the term, hyperlordosis means excessive lordosis in your posture.
The picture above shows a woman with hyperlordosis of the lower back, with no lordosis of the neck. “Hypo” means less of or deficient so she is hypolordotic.
You may have hyperlordotic posture, which is not causing you any pain. That’s great but take measures to correct the problem now. You are at higher risk of developing osteoarthritis in your joints and in the discs of your lower spine.
See Also: Advanced Posture Exercises For Your Rounde Upper Back
Furthermore, if you take action now, you can make your butt look smaller. I am not actually making your butt smaller. I’m just making your butt look smaller by teaching you the exercises that will put your pelvis in the proper position. The exercises will decrease your lordosis. Same butt – different look.
Hyperlordosis Posture is caused by:
A: Tight muscles
- Your low back muscles run on either side of the spine, they are called the erector spinae.
- Your hip flexor muscle is called the psoas
B: Weak Muscles:
- Your gluteus maximus muscle gives your butt its shape.
- Your abdominal muscles. Namely, the rectus abdominus are the six-pack muscles that everyone wants to have. It’s just that for most of us (like me) those muscles are hidden in fat.
The problem with the hyperlordosis posture is there is an imbalance between muscles. Some muscles are too tight and pull hard in one direction and others are too weak and don’t pull enough, these imbalances increase the curve in your spine.
How Do You Fix Your Posture Then?
First, Stretch the Tight Muscles Then Strengthen the Weak Muscles.
A: Arch Your Lower Back Like The Cat Pose in Yoga – Stretch your low back erector spinae (low back muscles).
- Get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders, your knees under your hips.
- Arch your upper back and lower back like a cat does when it’s scared.
- Hold for 30 seconds – do 3 sets.
- If you have a disc problem, or it hurts to arch and flex your back, this exercise is not for you.
A: Child Pose: Second stretch for your low back erector spinae (low back muscles).
- Get on your hands and knees.
- Sit back onto your heels with your arms reaching out as far as they will go.
- Your head is looking down – neck down.
- Hold for 30 seconds – do 3 sets.
A: Lunge Pose: You need to stretch the hip flexor muscles (psoas muscles)
- Get down on your knees.
- Put one leg forward with the knee bent to 90 degrees.
- Other leg is back with the knee very slightly bent resting on the floor.
- You should feel the stretch in the front part of your hip.
- Hold for 30 seconds and do 3 sets.
Second, strengthen your gluteus maximus (your butt shaping muscle) and abs (your rectus abdominis muscles or six pack muscles)
I will give you two exercises to strengthen your gluteus maximus. The squat and the single leg squat.
B: The Chair Squat To Strengthen Your Gluteus Maximus
- Stand with your back to the chair.
- Your feet should be a shoulder width apart with your feet turned out slightly
- Make sure to not arch your lower back when lowering yourself down to the chair.
- Touch the chair and come right back up 10X – do 3 sets.
B: Single Leg Squat To Improve Your Posture. When you can do three sets of the chair squats easily, try single leg squats.
- Always stand near a wall so, you can support yourself if you lose your balance.
- Stand on one leg.
- Stick out your butt as much as you can while bringing your other leg back, dragging it on the floor to keep balance.
- Go as far as you can with the back leg.
- Don’t let your knee go forward past the big toe
- Do 3 sets of 10.
Strengthen Your Abs To Help Your Posture
B: Front Planks strengthen your abs without putting dangerous pressure on your discs like crunches and sit-ups do.
- Lie face down.
- Toes together and your arms shoulder width apart.
- Hold this position without raising your butt too high
- Your body should form a straight line. Look in the mirror.
- Hold for up to 1 minute at a time. – do the exercise 3 times.
B: Advanced Abs Strengthening To Help Your Posture
- Get a basketball or medicine ball.
- Get in the front plank position.
- Balance with your forearms on your medicine ball/basketball.
- Pull your arms in toward you while balancing on the ball.
Tell us what you think in the comments below and like us on Facebook. This Toronto Downtown Chiropractor will answer all questions in the comments section.
Dr Ken Nakamura
713 Responses to Posture: Correct the Exaggerated Arch in Your Lower Back with these Easy Posture Exercises
July 13, 2021 at 4:52 pm
Hello! I am 22 years old and I have had terrible back problems for several years, I went to the doctors and I also do physical therapy, the diagnosis being lumbar scoliosis, physical therapy does not help me much and I also take vitamins to strengthen the spine, it does not help me much because I have continued very severe pain, restless sleep and nervousness due to pain. The spine to the touch feels that it is not straight but has an arched surface.
March 26, 2022 at 6:37 pm
Go to a chiropractor and start yoga, best advice I can give you. Has saved me from being in a wheelchair after two herniated discs and scoliosis
September 23, 2020 at 5:22 pm
Hello, Doctor!
I’m a 53 year old woman with no health issues (other than the occasional arthritis in my knees and some periodic tendonitis in both my elbows that extends to stiffness in my right hand in the morning – usually after excessive use, which, along with repetitive motion, is what caused the tendonitis in the first place.)
Over the last three or four months, I began to wake up with back pain in my lower back. At first I thought it was because my mattress was quite old (15 yrs), but also experienced this on another bed in the house (but it was an inexpensive one for the guest room.) I purchased a plush hybrid mattress, which only exacerbated the pain. So, I purchased a firm mattress with no memory foam and a pillow top (I need some cushion otherwise the pressure points on my shoulders cause pain and I generally prefer the feel of a softer mattress.) After a few nights, I began to experience the lower pain upon waking again, albeit not as bad as with the hybrid mattress. It usually goes away in about 15 minutes or so.
I’ve discovered that I seem to be overarching my back during my sleep, even when lying on my back (although I don’t do it during the day). Although I don’t have a single, preferred sleep position, I used to sleep mostly on my side and stomach because I’ve never been able to sustain deep sleep on my back. I now wake up several times during the night to change position as I feel the back pain begin. I suspect poor core strength, but wanted to know if you had other observations.
Thanks for this article, by the way, and thank you for taking a moment to read this.
P.S. Please send a reply to my email since I don’t know if this site will send a notification of your response, if you post one.
October 6, 2020 at 6:34 pm
Thanks for your question Barbara. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I think you need to learn how to flatten your back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPaiq9wd7ko&ab_channel=RedefiningStrength
After that, you should be fine in a firm or hybrid bed, if you learn how to basically relax your lower back while sleeping. Once you have done the exercise 300 times, try to sleep on a harder bed. By doing the exercise 300 days over a period of 10 days your body will do this automatically. Until the body does this automatically you will continue to have pain. It takes practice until you can get proper control of your body. Good luck.
That is my opinion and not a recommendation. Always consult a chiropractor or physiotherapist that can examine you in person. I will do my upmost to answer your questions to the best of my ability. Hope that helps.
August 31, 2020 at 3:54 am
I use tablets a lot, my upper back is severely curved and I just want to make all of my back straight, what should I do?
October 6, 2020 at 6:12 pm
Thanks for your question Hassan. I would try these exercises. Always make sure you see a chiropractor in person and don’t rely on the internet. This is an opinion and not a recommendation. Hope that helps.
October 11, 2019 at 1:25 am
Thank you so much for putting together this article! I play the violin in my high school orchestra- I really started to get serious about it this year. Because of this, I’ve been practicing a lot. And with this I very quickly get a lot of back pain, often distrusting my focus and ability to practice for a prolonged period of time. After finding this article I’ll implement some planking and stretching to my after practice regimen to hopefully alleviate my pain. I don’t know how I could quite put into words how thankful I am- this will greatly help further pursue my passion. Do you have any other tips for posture and such for a musician?
October 29, 2019 at 6:14 pm
Thanks for your question Kailee. Getting started with the exercises will definitely help. For musicians playing the violin, I first recommend that your midback be more extended instead of bent forward. Also, working out will with an emphasis on your upper back will be helpful. Here are some exercises to get you going. https://www.bodiempowerment.com/advanced-posture-exercises/
This is an opinion and not a recommendation. It is always wise to go see someone that can take a proper history and examine you rather than relying on the internet.
Hope that helps.
January 7, 2019 at 4:36 am
doctor I’m 13 and my back arches and hurts sometimes can I still play football?
January 13, 2019 at 6:43 pm
Thanks for your question Dylan. I am assuming you are from the USA based on your IP and that you mean American football and not soccer. There is always a chance that you can hurt yourself or someone will hurt you with American football. Other players sometimes want to hurt you.
I think your main question though centres around if playing American football combined with your posture and your back hurting will cause you damage to your lower back. The answer is there is always a chance. Most people in your situation aren’t going to damage their backs permanently. If you straighten out your lower back more, your risk of injury will decrease. So doing the exercises will help.
Linebackers often get hit from the front and get their spine extended. Meaning linebackers bend their spine backwards often. A common injury is a fracture of L5 the bottom vertebrae in your spine called spondylolisthesis. This injury happens after repeated extension in youth. For some people, it’s not painful, while for others it is painful. It’s usually painful when the injury is due to a big hit with a lot of extension to the spine while the repeated small extensions are usually not painful. This is my experience anyways.
That’s my opinion and not a recommendation. If you have any more questions this chiropractor will do his best to give you a good answer.
March 17, 2018 at 6:25 pm
hi, my younger sister is diagnosed with lumbar lordosis she has severe lower back pain specially during menstraution but now it become permanent. she walk by placing hand on back. her weight is also losed 2 kgs. Every arthopaed physician prescribed high potency pain kilers only. kindly tell me to whom consultant should she consult how can she get rid off this pain.
March 29, 2018 at 11:50 pm
Thanks for your question Areeba. It’s not likely that posture alone is the cause of her hyperlordosis. If it is then the exercises should help her. The above is an opinion and not a recommendation.
Hope that helps your sister’s lumbar lordosis.
January 15, 2018 at 5:10 pm
Whenever I lie on ground my lower back touches the ground and when I try to get up, it hurts, what should I do?
January 12, 2018 at 12:17 am
Hi Dr, I stumbled across your page and found it interesting and it may relate to me issue. I have have lower to mid back pain for 2 years now. Have gone through MRI’s, X-rays, Doctors, you name it. And nothing is seriously wrong. My lower back is quite curved I have noticed and have also been told by other people. My underwear line falls lower on the front then the back of me which proves this. From your opinion, do you think these routine will help?
January 24, 2018 at 6:58 am
Thanks for your question Jordan. The exercises should help but of course are not guaranteed.
Hope that helps your posture. The above is an opinion and not a recommendation.
December 21, 2017 at 8:42 am
I have a slight lower back curve, also known as scoliosis will this help to straighten that? If not is there any exercises you could recommend that will help my scoliosis? My posture is awful. My shoulders are very forward if that makes sense, and I have a lower back arch too, thanks.
December 22, 2017 at 8:36 am
Thanks for your question Charlotte. First, it’s normal to have a lower back arch. While you may have postural problems you are stressing about some things that are normal. As for your scoliosis, I find that many people have no pains with this. While it may cause cosmetic issues there are no health problems for many people unless the curves are more severe. At 40-45 degrees the curves can compromise heart and lung function. Unfortunately, these exercises and all exercises that I am aware of do not fix scoliosis, unless it’s a temporary pain related scoliosis. These exercises can decrease lower back arch if it is too exaggerated but you should check with your medical doctor to see if it actually is too much. If the arch is exaggerated then you should do the exercises.
Hope that helps your posture. The above is an opinion and not a recommendation.