Unleash Your Inner Kaiju: Strengthen Your Core to Fight Low Back Pain!

As the world eagerly awaits the return of Kaiju No.8, I decided to rewatch season one. One key point of the show is that all Kaiju share a commonality, a core. Now a Kaiju core is fragile, rainbow colored sphere that if shattered will immediately kill them. This second watch through made me realize they may not be that different from us. For these monsters, their core is vital to their survival and yet the same principle applies to humans.

Our “core” isn’t a mystical sphere, but a group of muscles that stabilize our spine. When our core is weak, we’re more susceptible to low back pain, a common and often debilitating issue. Our spine’s stability depends on a resilient core. Strengthening this area is key to preventing pain and fostering better movement.

To help build core strength, I recommend a progression of exercises starting with static holds and moving to dynamic movements. Here are four effective options:

• Kneeling Side Planks
• Pilates Sit-up
• Bird Dog Row
• 1/4 Turkish Get-up

Remember, always listen to your body. Perform these exercises with minimal or no pain. If you feel discomfort, skip and try again later as your strength improves. Keep in mind, low back pain can have many causes so if these exercises don’t help, a lack of core stability may not be the reason for your low back pain. 

I’ve experienced low back pain due to core weakness when I was in middle school. I experienced it again during my powerlifting days due to the stiffening and lessening of mobility you the spine. lastly, I experienced it while rowing due to hip compensations I acquired while rowing. Low back pain is a sensitive topic because many things can cause it, if the corrective exercise I gave in this post don’t fix your pain I promise its not the end of the world. It just means you haven’t figured out the right solution to your specific problem.

Building core strength has more benefits than just preventing pain; it empowers your body to move confidently and freely. Your back’s resilience depends on it, just like a Kaiju’s survival depends on its core. Strengthen yours, stand tall, and remember to seek help instead of sitting in pain.