Lower-back pain can be debilitating and can keep you from doing everyday tasks that you once took for granted. Lower-back arthritis is a degenerative form of osteoarthritis that in advanced stages can lead to narrowing of the space between spinal disks, a condition known as spinal stenosis. Weight-bearing exercise that loads the bones of the lower back without causing pain and compressing the disks is key to arresting the degenerative process.
Ball Wall Squats
Place a 55 cm stability ball between the wall and the base of your shoulder blades. Plant your feet shoulder-width apart with your heels slightly forward of your hips. Cross your arms over your chest and look straight ahead with your chin parallel to the floor. Keep your chest lifted and do not bend forward at the waist. Initiate movement by bending your hips, as if about to sit on a chair. Plant your heels directly under your knees as you squat toward the floor. Keep your body weight over your heels and do not allow it to shift to the forefoot. When your knees reach 90 degrees, return to standing. Repeat 15 times.
Yoga Plank
On all fours, kneel on a mat and place your elbows directly below your shoulders so your upper arm is perpendicular to the floor, fingertips pointing forward, palms down. Maintaining shoulder-elbow alignment, extend your legs to a pushup position, with weight on your toes. Do not "tent" your hips but maintain a straight line from ankles to shoulders. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds, gradually increasing time as you become stronger. If the full pushup position is too advanced, modify by resting weight on your knees.
Superman
Lie prone on your mat, arms stretched overhead, knees straight. Gaze at your fingertips as you inhale and simultaneously lift your right arm and left leg. Hold briefly, then exhale and slowly lower to the floor. Repeat with the left arm and right leg. Alternate right and left, 10 to 15 repetitions on each side.
Bridge
Lie supine on your mat, feet directly beneath bent knees, palms down next to hips. Inhale and push down with your hands and heels to lift your pelvis toward the ceiling until your weight is resting on your feet and shoulder blades, hips fully extended. Hold briefly, then exhale as you slowly return to your start position. Repeat 10 times.
Stability Ball Bridge
Lie supine with your palms down next to your hips, resting your heels on a 45 to 55 cm stability ball. Starting with the ball drawn against your hips, execute a four-count sequence: Count 1, exhale and straighten the knees as the ball rolls away from the hips; count 2, inhale and push down with the hands as you lift your pelvis off the floor, hips fully extended and weight resting on the shoulder blades and calves; count 3, exhale and slowly lower the pelvis to the mat; count 4, inhale as you draw the ball back against your hips. Repeat 10 to15 times.
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