We often take for granted the role that our lower back muscles play in out everyday mobility. So, while your lower back muscles need to be strong, they also need to be flexible.

This balance between strength and flexibility is particularly important with your lower back. That’s why we include the pelvic tilt, which both strengthens and lengthens out the muscles attached to your spine. With the wide-spread incidence of lower back pain among adults, everyone should practice this exercise. The same goes for back extension exercises.

However, if you’re experiencing back pain right now or have a history of back trouble, check with your doctor before performing any extension exercises.

When you do a lower back exercise, you should feel a mild pull or pressure build within the muscle, not a sharp pain. If you do feel a piercing pain, back off. Review the exercise description to make sure that you haven’t pushed your body too far and then try the movement again. If you still feel pain, seek medical advice before proceeding.

You may feel a dull ache in your back a day or two after you’ve worked your lower back. This is pretty much normal. But if the pain is sharp and so debilitating that your most upright posture looks like you’re trying to duck under a fence, you’ve either pushed yourself too far or you have a back problem.

Few people make mistakes when they do lower back exercises. That’s because few people actually take the time to do these exercises, which is a big mistake in itself. Here are a few common errors:

1) People have the habit of bending too far back. On back extensions, raise your body just a few inches, and lengthen out as much as you can. With pelvic tilts, the point is to isolate your lower back muscles while keeping your back planted on the floor.

2) Another bad habit that is much too common is people performing back exercises way too quickly. Always perform your back exercises slowly and carefully. If you race through them, you may cause the very back problems you’re trying to prevent. So keep a steady pace during back workouts.