Will Strengthening My Core Really Help My Low Back Pain?

The short answer is yes. A strong set of core muscles acts like a natural corset, helping to support and stabilise your lower back, pelvis and spine during everyday movement. But, like everything else in the human body, your core doesn't work in isolation. Its ability to do its job depends on how well the rest of your body moves and functions as a whole.

The goal is to build a core that knows when to switch on, how to work with the rest of your body, and how to support you when you pick up the shopping, dig in the garden or simply bend down to tie your shoe laces.

In this article, we'll explore why building core strength is one of the best investments you can make for your long-term back health—and why your future self will thank you for making it part of your weekly routine.

Weak core muscles.

After years of neglecting any kind of strength training and spending my time exclusively on my mountain bike, I predictably became what I like to call "bike-shaped"—strong only in the muscle groups needed to pedal for hours while climbing and descending the trails of the Tweed Valley. 

About a year ago a friend shared a 15-minute YouTube ab workout saying how good it was and, despite giving it everything I had, there was absolutely no way I could properly do, let alone finish many of the 60-second exercises.
Humbled, and a few weeks later—once the memory of the next day-soreness had finally faded—I returned to the same torturous YouTube channel in search of something a little more beginner-friendly. With consistency averaging just two sessions a week at best, I can honestly say my lower back feels noticeably stronger and far less "tweaky" for having built up a modest core strength.

So why did just a few minutes of core work each week make such a noticeable difference to my back? More importantly, could adding a handful of simple exercises to your routine help keep those annoying aches and niggles at bay too? Let's find out.

How to test if your abdominals are weak?

If you're already a patient at Unwind, you've probably heard me mention physiotherapist and coach Dr Kelly Starrett. One of the things I like about his trunk stability assessment is that it isn't just about whether you can hold a plank, perform a press-up or balance on all fours with one arm and leg extended—it's about whether you can breathe comfortably while doing it. If you're holding your breath, your body is telling you it doesn't yet have full control or stability in that position. And if you're wobbling or shaking excessively, it's fair to say that's a sign that those muscles could benefit from becoming stronger and more coordinated.

4 Positions to test your core.

A quick safety note: only try these tests if you’re comfortable and pain-free. If you have any existing back, spine or joint issues, an injury, or concerns about performing the movements safely, check with me or your healthcare professional first.

Plank hold - maintain a straight line throughout your body and hold for 30-60 seconds.

Side plank - hold for 30-60 seconds each side.

Rotational stability - From all-fours balance on ipsilateral hand & knee for 30-60 seconds.

Leg lowering - Starting with straight legs at 90 degrees, slowly lower the legs as low as it's possible to press your lower back into the floor (without allowing the back to arch).

Sit to Rise Test

The Sit-to-Rise Test is a simple functional movement test that involves lowering yourself from standing to sitting on the floor and then returning to standing, using as little support from your hands or knees as possible.
Although it looks simple, the movement requires a combination of lower-body strength, flexibility, core strength, coordination and balance. To sit down with control, you need mobility through the hips, knees and ankles, while getting back up requires strength and stability through the legs and core. Completing the movement without using your hands also challenges your balance and coordination.
Whilst it doesn't predict lifespan, it is often described as a “longevity test”. It provides a quick snapshot of functional fitness—how well your strength, mobility, balance and coordination work together, which are all important for maintaining independence as we age.

Using your arms infront of you can make this manoeuvre a little easier.

Make it harder by crossing your arms.

The last time I tried this test was a good year or so ago, while I could complete it, if I'm honest it was a struggle! I had to use momentum to rock my body forward over my feet, and would often lose my balance as I came back up to standing. So I was genuinely surprised by how much easier it felt this time. Consistently practising yoga, core workouts and climbing has clearly made a difference—not just in strength, but in balance, mobility and body control.
This stuff works!

Core Anatomy

Your core is made up of several layers of muscles that work together to support and stabilise your trunk in every plane of movement. There's the well-known rectus abdominis—the "six-pack" muscle that springs to mind when you think of crunches. Then there are the obliques, which help you twist, bend and resist rotation, with exercises like side planks targeting them particularly well. Finally, there's the transversus abdominis, the deepest abdominal muscle, which wraps around your torso like a corset. Its main role is to stabilise your spine and pelvis, making exercises such as dead bugs, heel slides and hollow body holds especially effective for strengthening it.

Of course, these muscles don't work in isolation. Every movement relies on the entire core working together with the muscles of the hips, back and shoulders, all connected through the body's network of fascia. That's why improving your core isn't about building a stronger six-pack—it's about creating a stronger, more stable body that moves efficiently, whether you're riding a bike or simply getting through everyday life.

Cross-Training with other sports and workouts is ideal.

The obvious downside of focusing on just one sport is that the same muscle groups receive all the attention and conditioning, while others are left to take a back seat - often the abdominals!
​Over time, repeating the same movement patterns can expose weak links in the body, often leading to stiffness, recurring aches, muscle strains or joint pain as we age or take on new physical demands.

Dividing your time between different activities, sports or classes can help fill the gaps in your training. It builds strength across all planes of movement while helping to maintain—or even restore—your flexibility and mobility. One of the biggest lessons I've learned from my patients in their 70s, 80s and 90s is that those who've stayed strong, supple and active have struck the right balance: they've consistently kept moving. Where I can see the 'icing on the cake' for many of them, which potentially could have helped them reduce the risk of low back pain is a simple, all-round strengthening set of exercises - even if that were only once a week.

​In his book Stronger, osteopath David Vaux highlights the importance of building and maintaining muscle throughout our lives, explaining how our strength and muscle mass in our 40s, 50s and 60s can have a huge influence on our health, mobility and independence in later life. He introduces the idea of a "strength pension"—the concept that every strength-building session is an investment in your future self.
One of the main reasons this matters is sarcopenia, the natural age-related loss of muscle. On average, we lose around 10% of our muscle mass each decade after the age of 40 unless we actively work to maintain it. Ladies, take note: the hormonal changes that come with perimenopause and menopause can accelerate both muscle and bone loss, making strength training even more important during this stage of life.

Now, while it may sound like I've gone a little off-topic, I don't believe we can single out the abdominal muscles as the magic bullet for preventing low back pain. Like everything else in the human body, no muscle works in isolation—it's how they all work together that creates a strong, resilient and well-functioning body.

That's one of the reasons I love yoga and pilates. A consistent practice challenges your strength, mobility and balance while working through all the major muscle groups and fascial lines, without you having to think, "Have I trained my obliques today?" It encourages your body to move as an integrated whole, which is exactly how it was designed to function.

Remember, staying strong, mobile and resilient isn't about pushing harder all the time, but making consistent investments in your body over the years. Just remember to train those abs too!