Your poor back is one of the most tortured, overused structures in your body. Highly flexible, it comprises a whole pile of bones, joints, ligaments, and disks. It connects your body’s upper and lower parts and is the foundation for compound movements.
Our backs are amazing—but they can also be an amazing pain if injured. Beyond the normal wear and tear your back endures, one of the most surprising things I’ve encountered in my patients over the years is that their backs are decidedly overutilized because their legs are weak. Squatting is often the most appropriate way to access low-level items and tasks.
However, those with weak legs tend to compensate by keeping their legs straight and hinging over at their hips. While we may accomplish tasks this way, our backs may eventually be done in. I’ve included several exercises in this series to make your legs strong—and keep them strong—so they can contribute to low-level item retrieval and participate in tasks that require squatting or kneeling.
1. Bodyweight Squat 2. Counter Squat 3.
Reverse Lunge 4. Side/Lateral Lunge 5. Stair J ump 6.
Curtsy Lunge.