One of the exercises with the kettlebell that is responsible for more of the lower back soreness and injuries is the kettlebell swing. The swing is worth the practice it takes to get a full body exercise – but done poorly it is guaranteed to result in a sore lower back and potentially a lower back injury.
The kettlebell swing is designed to engage most of your body at once with the kettlebell. It is the classic exercise in which the athlete swings the kettlebell from shoulder level, through the upper thigh and back to shoulder level again. This one exercise engages the hamstrings, upper arms, lats, posterior chain in your back, core strength, speed, flexibility.
One of mistakes that people make with this exercise is bending down too far and taking the weight load with their back instead of their legs. This results in lower back injuries and pain.
However, rehabilitation specialists also recommend using the kettlebell to strength the lower back and reduce the potential for lower back injuries. That’s because, when done properly, the weight of the kettlebell is dynamic and the potential to overload the lower back is low.
Using the kettlebell correctly will strengthen your posterior chain muscles that relieve lower back pain and done incorrectly will injure them! Kettlebell swings, squats and presses and curls will each improve the strength in the lower back when done properly and have been used in the rehabilitation of a back injury without disc involvement.
References:
(1) Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons: Low Back Pain
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15089084
(2) National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: What is Back Pain
http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Back_Pain/back_pain_ff.asp#b
Resources:
MensHealth: Master The Kettlebell Swing
http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/eow-kettlebell-swing#
Mens Fitness: 10 Dangerous Kettlebell Mistakes
http://www.mensfitness.com/training/pro-tips/10-dangerous-kettlebell-mistakes
Breaking Muscle: The kettlebell swing: Why it’s the perfect exercise
http://breakingmuscle.com/kettlebells/the-kettlebell-swing-why-its-the-perfect-exercise
Live Healthy: Sore Back Muscles from Kettlebell swings
http://livehealthy.chron.com/sore-back-muscles-kettlebell-swings-4239.html
Alternative Body Solutions: Kettlebell Exercises Can Relieve Your Back Pain
http://alternativebodysolutionsllc.com/kettlebell-exercises-can-relieve-your-back-pain/
Strength and Conditioning REsearch: Why Do Kettlebells cause low back pain in some lifters and yet help rehab others
http://www.strengthandconditioningresearch.com/2013/01/21/kettlebells-low-back-pain/
The Joint: Swing for Bac Pain relief
http://chiropractorsandiego-thejoint.com/swinging-for-back-pain-relief-how-kettlebells-can-help/
Human Performance resource: Back in Motion
http://hprc-online.org/blog/back-in-motion-can-swinging-a-kettlebell-improve-back-and-shoulder-pain
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