Common Squat Injuries: Lower Back Pain

Squats are one of the most important exercises that should not be missing from your exercise routine. When training, it is crucial to be in a well-rounded program that strengthens your upper and lower body. Squats can help to achieve this balance.

You can, however, experience some pain, especially in your lower back when doing squats. This pain can be excruciating to the extent that it can ultimately keep you out of training for some time. Fortunately, there are ways that you can employ to get rid of this pain.

If you have felt this kind of pain, then this post is for you. In this article, we will discuss in detail what causes lower back pain during squats and how to prevent it.

First, what are the benefits of squatting?

Squats are beneficial to the extent that athletes around the globe for different kinds of sport are doing them. This is because almost every game requires the athlete to have power or splint strength and squats have been found to enhance these abilities significantly. The major benefits of squats include:

  • Injury protection – Squats work on a lot of muscles, greatly enhancing body synchronization. When the majority of your organs are effectively coordinated, you become more stable and less likely to suffer from injuries.
  • Increases your core strength – When squats are appropriately done, most muscles are engaged. This enhances your stability, and over time, your core strength. If you are working on muscle growth, squats can effectively engage these muscles. Used together with anabolic steroids from a leading vendor whose site’s homepage you can check out here, your results will be truly incredible.
  • Improves your flexibility – Adding some loads to your squat movements improves your range of movements at the joints, making you more flexible.

What causes lower back pain during squats?

If executed correctly, it is highly unlikely for you to get injuries from doing squats. However, in some cases, you might feel some pain in your back because of the following reasons:

  • You were injured in the back before
  • Incorrect squat technique
  • Weak core muscles
  • Using too many loads with your squats, and
  • Footwear that does not fit correctly, hence less support when squatting.

How to prevent low back pain resulting from squats

Some of the methods to keep away pain from squats, especially on the lower back, include:

Use the right squat variations

If you directly go into complex squat variations, especially for a beginner, you might end up injuring yourself. You are advised to start with simple variations like front squats and then gradually move to the more complex ones.

Barbell back squats are most likely to cause back pains as the weight rests on your back. It is a movement that requires the person executing it to have a lot of back and shoulder mobility, something that beginners often lack.

Be in the correct starting position

Ensure that you are in a proper staring position before you begin squatting. Your feet should be kept apart at a shoulder-width facing forward. This enhances your stability, reducing pressure on not only your back but also your hips and knees.

Work on your joint mobility

It would be best if you were extremely flexible at your ankles to execute your squats without a problem effectively. If you lack this flexibility, you will find yourself raising your heels when squatting hence exerting more pressure at your back. This can cause back pain. You can work on enhancing your ankle flexibility before you start doing squats.