Lower-back pain is miserable and all too common: roughly experience it at some point in their lives.��But widely accepted methods of coping with that discomfort, like avoiding exercise, might actually make things worse.

“Your body is designed around short-term survival instincts, so when you have pain, you try to avoid it,” says , a British Columbia–based physical therapist,��trainer, and cofounder of��. It might seem logical to avoid exercise-related discomfort by eliminating certain movements altogether. But this can propel you into a cycle of inactivity, leading to weaker muscles and more soreness and pain over time, he explains. To break the cycle, you have to train, even if it hurts a little—it’s one of the best things you can do for the lower back.

If you’ve sworn off deadlifts and bent-over rows, it’s time to get reacquainted. There are plenty of variations that can help you ease into these exercises��without aggravating your back. Below, Spinelli shares a weighted full-body routine��designed to build strength,��boost confidence, and help you progress��to other exercises over time.

Spinelli recommends doing this routine three times per week. Start with one set of each��of the following moves. As you get stronger and your��discomfort decreases, gradually increase the number of sets, capping it off at four. Shoot for six to twelve��reps in each set,��but choose your volume (and your weight) based on form: stop when you still have three to four good reps in the tank. As you get more comfortable with the exercises, you can experiment with stopping one or two reps short of failure.

The key to this workout is paying attention to your body. Try evaluating��your pain on a scale of one to ten, Spinelli recommends, and keep it below a three while you work out. If a certain exercise hurts, decrease��the range of motion, perform��fewer sets or reps, or reduce��the weight. If your pain worsens (to a level five or above), increases as you work through your reps, is heightened after your workout, or continues��after a 24-hour period, you should back off. If you’re rehabbing��an acute injury, check in with a physical therapist��before beginning this routine.

The Moves

Bird Dog

What it does: Gently builds control and strength��in the lower back by challenging��your trunk to resist rotation and arching at the lumbar��spine. Slowly moving your arms and legs between reps strengthens the glutes and rear shoulder muscles, which help lessen the load on your��lower back.

How to do it: Begin on all fours, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Brace your core, and lift your opposite arm and leg off the floor until they’re��straight and��level with your torso. Hold there briefly��(three to five seconds)��before returning your hand and knee to the floor. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg, keeping your hips and shoulders square. Maintain a neutral spine from the crown of your head to your tailbone; avoid sagging or arching your back. If this variation is too easy, do the move from a plank position.

Volume: One to four sets of six��to twelve��reps on��each side.

Deadbug

What it does: Strengthens the abdominals��with your pelvis tucked, which can help relieve lower-back stress.

How to do it: Lie on your back, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Press your lower back into the floor to fire up your abdominals. Then lift both knees until your shins are parallel to the floor. Extend both arms toward the ceiling. Keeping your lower back pressed into the floor, slowly lower one arm backward��and straighten the opposite leg. Only lower as��far as you can without allowing your lower back to lift��off the floor. Return to the starting position, making sure your knees don’t��creep toward your chest. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg. If pressing your lower back into the floor is uncomfortable,��allow��a small arch, but keep it consistent throughout the move. Gradually work your way��down to the floor as��you get stronger.

Volume: One to four sets of six��to twelve��reps on��each side.

Romanian Deadlift

What it does: Builds strength in the glutes and hamstrings. This variation offers similar��benefits to other deadlift variations, but it’s gentler on the back because you’re not pulling the weight off the floor with every rep. Starting this��exercise from the top helps you build strength without stressing your��lower back��and will help you eventually progress to traditional deadlifts.

How to do it: Stand in an athletic stance, with your feet hip-width apart, holding two kettlebells or dumbbells��in front of your thighs, with your palms facing your body��and your arms straight. Choose your weight according to your rep scheme. Start lighter than you think you need,��and work your way up.��To get into the starting position, consider moving your weights to a bench first��and then lifting them into position��rather than lifting them directly from the floor. This will help protect your back.

Bend your knees slightly, sit back into your hips, and hinge forward at the waist to slowly lower the weights. Let them��skim against your thighs, and stop when you feel a slight pull in your hamstrings. Choose your depth based on what feels approachable for your body. Return to a standing position, and squeeze your glutes at the top. Repeat. You should feel your glutes and hamstrings light up during this move.

Volume: One to four sets of six��to twelve��reps.

Three-Point Dumbbell Row

What it does: Strengthens the back, shoulders, and arms.��This variation on the more traditional bent-over row puts��less stress on the lower back, Spinelli explains, by using three points of contact to provide more support. This allows you to better isolate your middle and upper back muscles without loading your lower back.

How to do it: Start in a three-point stance, with your right��knee and hand on a bench. Your right��hand should be positioned directly under your right��shoulder, and your right��knee directly under the right��hip. Your left��leg should be extended, with your foot flat on the floor. Grip a dumbbell or kettlebell��in your left��hand, with your left��arm fully extended toward the floor. (Choose your weight according to your rep scheme, as explained above.) Keeping your chin tucked and your back flat, pull the weight toward your rib cage, keeping your arm tight against your body. Then��lower the weight with control until your arm is fully extended. Keep your core engaged and your spine neutral throughout the entire movement. Repeat.

Volume: One to four sets of six��to twelve��reps on��each side.

Goblet Stationary Lunge

What it does: Builds strength through the legs’ major muscle groups. Many other lunge variations involve moving your feet between reps, which places stress on your��back as you stabilize through various positions. Plus, for people with lower-back pain, holding weight in front of your body tends to be more comfortable than holding it behind your body or on your shoulders (as in back squats).

How to do it: Begin standing with your feet hip-width apart, holding a kettlebell or dumbbells��against your chest with both hands in a��goblet position. Slowly take a big step back with one foot, and lower your back knee to just an inch or two off the floor. Your legs should both be at 90-degree angles.��Make sure your front knee is directly above and laterally in line with your front ankle. Allow your weight to be more heavily distributed on��your front leg. Then��drive through the midfoot of your front foot, and push yourself back up to standing, with both legs extended. Without moving your feet, bend your front knee to drop into your next rep.

Volume: One to four sets of six��to twelve��reps on��each side.

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Between the pandemic, wildfires, and��a presidential election cycle, collective stress levels are at an all-time high. Gentle��practices that give your nervous system a chance to reset are more important than ever.

Childlike movements such as��rocking, rolling, and crawling can help ease stress, explains Dani Almeyda, a personal trainer who teaches restorative movement to clients and trainers at the�� in North Carolina. The developmental movement patterns we learn��as babies help us build the strength and coordination to walk and run. Now��they can help disengage the sympathetic nervous system, commonly known as fight-or-flight mode, and bring the body into a parasympathetic state, or rest-and-digest mode, Almeyda explains.��They can also relieve tension, get your joints moving smoothly, and offer moderate strengthening.

This restorative routine from Almeyda and Tim Anderson, a personal trainer and cofounder of the Original Strength Institute, can be done anytime, anywhere. Run through it whenever you feel like you need to press reset: the first thing in the morning, after a workout, or during a midafternoon slump. Roll out a yoga mat or blanket, or find a carpeted area to comfortably rotate��through the exercises. Begin by focusing on your breath, and gradually cycle through the movements to wake up your muscles and joints without stressing your nervous system.

The Moves

Crocodile Breath

What it does:��Slow, deep breaths lower your heart rate and blood pressure and deliver more oxygen throughout the body, all of which help����into a parasympathetic state.

How to do it: Lie flat on your belly, and let your forehead rest on your hands. Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth, which opens your airway and allows you to bring more air into your lungs, Almeyda explains. Take a deep breath in through your nose, inhaling��on a five-count to fill your belly (not your chest) with as much air as possible. Then��relax and breathe out through your nose on a five-count.

Volume: Continue breathing in and out of your nose for two minutes.

Head Nod and Rotation

What it does: Helps��release tension in the neck and shoulders.

How to do it: While still lying on your belly, prop yourself up on your forearms so they’re straight out in front of you. Keeping your shoulders relaxed and your chest forward, slowly look up to the ceiling, letting your head follow your gaze. Then��slowly move your gaze down to the floor and try to look at your belly button. Lift your head back to center, and gently look over one shoulder, then the other. That’s one rep. Stay relaxed, and continue breathing deeply in and out of your nose, filling your belly with air.

Volume: Do ten full rounds of head nods and rotations.

Egg Rolls

What they��do: Physical contact is good for our brains and bodies. Hugging, for instance,��is associated with a rise in oxytocin, a hormone that . These��movements mimic��that sensation, no buddy required. The gentle motion��of swaying back and forth is also a self-soothing technique (think: rocking a baby).

How to do them: Lie on your back and pull your knees into your chest, tucking yourself into a ball. Grab hold of your knees, and gently look to one shoulder. As you turn your head, allow your body to roll over to that side, like an egg. Once you’re lying on your side, keep rotating gently through your neck and upper back, looking down and past the shoulder touching the ground, getting an even deeper stretch. Only rotate as far as is comfortable, and make��sure to breathe deeply. Then��slowly look to the other shoulder, and allow your body to roll in the opposite direction. Keep your body tucked in tight.

Volume: Continue rolling for one minute.

Quadruped Rocks

What they��do: These repetitive, gentle movements and deep breaths relax the nervous system. “Also, they��feel��great and help��keep key joints—like your shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles—moving,” Almeyda says.

How to do them: Get down on your hands and knees,��with your feet flexed; your shoulders should be stacked over your hands and your hips over your knees. Keep your chest��and head up, allowing your spine to settle into a slight curve. Slowly��rock your hips back toward your heels until you feel a gentle stretch in your ankles. Then��rock forward as far as you feel comfortable. Line up your movements with steady breaths.

Volume: Rock back and forth for one to two minutes.

Hand-Knee Crawling

What it��does: Since most of us haven’t crawled in years, this may be a little challenging at first. Coordinating the movement of your opposing limbs really wakes up the brain,��Almeyda explains.��Hand-knee crawling also gently engages your hips and shoulders, which tend to get stiff from sitting for long periods of time.

How to do it:��Like the previous move, begin on the floor on all fours, so your shoulders align with your hands and your hips align with your knees. Keeping your chest forward and head up, initiate the movement by stepping your opposite hand and knee forward. Allow your spine to curve naturally. Continue alternating sides, making sure to look straight ahead the entire time.

Volume: Keep crawling for one to two minutes.

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Move over oatmeal, there’s another grain taking over the breakfast scene. Quinoa is versatile��and��nutritious, and it��has a pleasant, nutty flavor. Plus, it’s gluten-free, making it a great grain option for people with gluten sensitivities.

“[Quinoa] is one of the most nutritious foods in the world,” says , a sports nutritionist and mountain athlete in Portland, Oregon. Just one cup contains roughly eight grams of protein. Unlike many grains, it’s a complete protein, which means it contains all nine essential amino acids—including the —that your body can’t make on its own. So if you’re eating a plant-based diet, quinoa is an important food to include, Borsuk says.

You’ve probably heard the common wisdom that a nutritious breakfast includes a solid��source of fiber, which helps regulate blood sugar and keeps you feeling fuller longer, Borsuk says. A serving of quinoa offers 20 percent of your daily recommended dose. It’s also especially high in magnesium, a mineral that plays a key role in generating energy and maintaining normal muscle function. You lose magnesium when you sweat—particularly if you exercise in hot, humid environments—and if you fail to restock your magnesium stores, you run the risk of dehydration and muscle cramps, Borsuk says.

Here are four flavor-packed ways to dress it up for breakfast, whether you’re baking quinoa flakes into bars or topping off a savory bowl.

Braveheart Biscuit Bar

, a professional triathlete and coach, the 2011 and 2012 Xterra��Triathlon World Champion, and author of , eats these crunchy, flapjack-flavored biscuits every day with her morning coffee, or she wraps them in foil to refuel during a��bike ride.

Ingredients

• 2 cups quinoa flakes��
• 1 cup white rice flour
• ¾ cup tapioca starch
• ¾ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon��baking powder
• 1 teaspoon��cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon��vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon��salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12-muffin tin and set aside. Combine all��ingredients and divide batter equally among the muffin cups. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes��or until the muffins are golden brown on the outside. Serving size: one��biscuit bar.

Power Egg Cups

This flavorful, protein-packed recipe from nutrition coach ��offers a subtle undertone��of spice and a pleasant crunch.

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 low-sodium ham steak or 1 pound cooked breakfast sausage, diced
• 2 hefty handfuls of spinach
• 3 cups Egg Beaters or egg substitute��or 12 whole eggs, beaten
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese��or other cheese of choice
• 2 tablespoons garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 cup tricolor quinoa (cooked)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12-muffin tin and set aside. Divide cooked quinoa equally among the muffin cups. Then��dice the onion, pepper, ham or breakfast sausage, and spinach. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, stir together the eggs, milk, cheese, garlic and cayenne until evenly mixed. Add the veggies to the egg mixture and combine. Then��divide the��mixture evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool. Store in an airtight container for up to five��days. Serving size: two��muffins.

Sweet Quinoa ‘Oatmeal’

If you’re not quite ready to give up your morning oatmeal, try swapping out the oats for quinoa. ,��a registered dietitian and recipe developer, suggests this sweet combo.

Ingredients

• ½ cup cooked quinoa
• 1 to 2 tablespoons nut butter of choice
• ¾ cup berries of choice

Directions

Simply combine the quinoa, nut butter, and berries.

Savory Quinoa Bowl

If your tastes are more on the savory side, throw together this quick quinoa bowl, which��includes a wide range of important vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients

• ½ cup cooked quinoa
• 1 to 2 whole eggs, cooked according to preference
• 1 cup cooked veggies (Cording suggests sauteed greens, roasted broccoli, or grilled asparagus)
• Drizzle of tahini or ¼ of an avocado

Directions

Top the quinoa with the eggs and cooked veggies, and add a savory topping like tahini or avocado.

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