Persistent Back Pain? Check Your Overlooked Deep Muscles That May Be the Cause of Poor Posture
Discover the “deep muscles” that support your spine and pelvis, along with simple exercises that can improve your posture and sustainably ease back pain.
Many people focus on exercising to reduce belly fat or build six-pack abs but overlook a crucial deeper muscle group. These muscles are key to whether you "walk upright" or suffer from "chronic back pain." Let's explore what these muscles are and why experts consider them essential for good health.
Meet the “Psoas”: the mysterious muscle holding the secret to your posture.
Among the core muscles is a group called the Psoas, which connects the lumbar spine to the thigh. This muscle plays a vital role in hip flexion and supporting the spine. If the Psoas is too tight or too weak, it directly affects spinal alignment, causing lower back pain and poor posture.
Why is this muscle so important to the “core”?
Physiology experts point out that the Psoas and surrounding pelvic muscles not only enable movement but also act as a “pillar” supporting weight and balance while standing, walking, or sitting. Prolonged sitting causes these muscles to shorten, leading to unconscious conditions like "swayback" or "hunched back."
3 warning signs your muscles may be problematic
- Chronic lower back pain: persistent despite massage or rest.
- Feeling unstable while walking: decreased body balance.
- Tight hips: stiffness when rising from prolonged sitting.
Simple strengthening exercises you can do at home
Stretching and strengthening these muscles doesn’t require heavy equipment.
1. Lunge Stretch: helps lengthen tight front thigh and hip muscles caused by long sitting periods.
How to perform the Lunge Stretch:
- Stand upright: feet hip-width apart, engage your core, and look straight ahead.
- Step forward: take a longer than usual step forward with one leg.
- Bend down: bend the front knee to a 90-degree angle so it’s above the ankle, lower the back knee toward the floor (heel can lift).
- Keep your torso: upright and core engaged.
- Return: push off the front foot to stand back up.
- Switch sides: repeat on the other leg.
2. Glute Bridges: strengthen your buttocks and lower back to support your core.
- Starting position: lie flat on your back, knees bent, feet hip-width apart and flat on the floor close to your buttocks, arms at your sides with palms facing down.
- Lift up: engage your core and squeeze your glutes to raise your hips off the floor.
- Lift fully: raise hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees (avoid arching your back).
- Hold: squeeze your glutes and hold for 1-2 seconds.
- Lower slowly: gently lower your hips back down, maintaining tension in your glutes and core.
3. Diaphragmatic breathing training: helps coordinate deep core muscle function.
How to practice diaphragmatic breathing:
- Preparation: find a comfortable position, sitting or lying on your back.
- Hand placement: place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen just above the navel.
- Inhale: slowly breathe in through your nose, feeling your abdomen expand to push the hand outward (the hand on your chest should remain still).
- Exhale: slowly breathe out through pursed lips as if blowing out a candle, letting your abdomen fall inward.
- Counting rhythm: inhale counting 1-2, exhale counting 1-4 to slow your breathing.
- Repeat: practice for 5-10 minutes, 2-4 times daily, gradually increasing duration.
Good posture and a pain-free body are not achieved by occasional adjustments but by properly caring for your “deep core muscles.” Spending just 10-15 minutes daily stretching and exercising your Psoas muscle will strengthen your back health and improve posture long-term.
Besides stretching exercises, standing up and moving every hour and avoiding prolonged sitting can prevent this type of back pain. If pain persists, consult a doctor or specialist for proper treatment.
