How to Avoid Lower Back Pain Caused by Kettlebell Swings
5 Technique Mistakes to Avoid When Kettlebell Training
Do kettlebell swings cause lower back pain? If you speak to inexperienced kettlebell users, they may tell you they do. They’ll also describe how kettlebell swings are helping to develop their lower body strength, power, speed, coordination, and general athleticism.
Is kettlebell swing lower back pain a price to pay for the many benefits of having kettlebell swings as part of your exercise regime?
The answer, of course, is no. It’s not that lower back pain and kettlebell swings go together. They don’t. But, like any exercise when performed incorrectly, complications can occur.
In this article, we’ll describe the poor techniques that can lead to kettlebell swing lower back pain. But let’s start by discussing why kettlebell swings can help to relieve lower back pain.
Are kettlebell swings good for your back?
The way that kettlebell swings benefit your physique and train you to move correctly has direct benefits for your back.
For example, kettlebell swings strengthen your posterior chain, and a strong posterior chain helps to stabilize your hips and spine, improving your power and your posture. A strong posterior chain also helps athletes and others avoid back injury.
Kettlebell swings also teach you to lift heavy weights correctly. Instead of depending on the strength in your arms, you’ll learn to use your legs and hips to drive a lift. Again, this correct motion will help you avoid placing excessive, injury-causing stress on your spine.
When regularly practicing kettlebell swings, you’ll also correct your breathing technique. When you breathe correctly, your pelvic floor and diaphragm will work together as they should, and this helps to regulate pressure. Correct breathing technique is a great place to start if you want to avoid back pain!
Exercising using kettlebell swings can also improve your cardiorespiratory endurance, and, of course, your grip strength.
Perhaps the most direct way in which kettlebell swings can help to relieve lower back pain, though, is by helping you to perfect the hip hinge.
When your hip hinges correctly, you will correct imperfect balances in your posterior chain muscles. Opening the hips and stretching the iliopsoas muscles helps to soothe any pain in the lower back.
5 Kettlebell swing mistakes that can cause back pain
If you are experiencing back pain, then it’s likely that you are making one of the following five common mistakes:
1. Rounding your upper back
It’s tempting to round your back as you swing the kettlebell. However, you must resist this temptation. A straight back throughout the swing is essential to keeping a neutral spine position ─ remember, the movement comes from the hip hinge, not from your back.
2. Squatting (not hinging)
Hinging is central to the kettlebell swing technique. You should be moving the kettlebell forward and back from the hips, and not squatting up and down to maintain motion. If you squat and swing simultaneously, you’ll put excess pressure on your back muscles.
3. Swinging with your arms, not your hips
If your upper back is painful after performing kettlebell swings, it’s probable that you are swinging with your arms instead of your hips. The power needed to produce the swing should come from your hips. Your arms are a guide and a tool to help hold the kettlebell in the correct position.
4. Hunching your shoulders
Are you hunching up your shoulders? Once more, this is caused because you’re not allowing the hips to do the work. You’re tensing up and overusing your arms, neck, and shoulders to move the weight.
5. Hinging too early during descent
If you hinge too early on the descent, it’s going to play havoc with your lower back. You need to learn to delay the hinge until after your arms touch your body, and as the kettlebell is about to reach your thighs.
The bottom line
The kettlebell swing is a fun and fantastic exercise that delivers many benefits. Performed correctly, kettlebell swings will strengthen your core and help to protect you from back pain.
However, it is easy to do kettlebell swings with poor technique. When this happens, you risk causing yourself back injuries ─ and especially lower back pain. The first step to avoiding this is to master the hip hinge. It’s also crucial to ensure that you are using the right weight for you and that any kettlebell exercise you do is adapted to your unique physical condition and fitness goals.
To get started on your journey to a fitter, more powerful you, without back pain, book an appointment with us to start a comprehensive 90-minute body evaluation.
