11 Ways Your Core Can Beat Winter Back Pain

3. Pelvic tilt: a simple activation you can do anywhere

Pelvic tilts wake the deepest stabilizers without loading the spine. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat. Gently flatten your lower back against the floor by tilting the pelvis up a few degrees, then release. Keep breathing steadily. The movement is small; the goal is to feel a subtle tension in the lower belly and around the pelvis. Perform sets of 10, two or three times daily. For a standing option, try the same gentle tilt while pressing the lower back toward a wall. Common mistakes include using the glutes to force the tilt or holding the breath. If those happen, slow down and reduce range. Pelvic tilts are especially useful before leaving the house for shoveling or errands because they cue the deep core to engage and reduce spinal wobble during sudden movements. Over weeks, they improve awareness and prepare you for slightly harder progressions like dead bugs and bird dogs.

4. Dead bug: build deep core stability with coordination

Dead bugs teach coordinated control of the trunk while the limbs move—exactly what your core needs during uneven winter tasks. Lie on your back with hips and knees bent into tabletop. Reach one arm overhead while extending the opposite leg a few inches toward the floor, keeping the lower back gently in contact with the ground. Return and switch sides. Focus on slow, controlled breaths so the belly draws in slightly on each reach. If full extension causes discomfort, keep the foot higher or move just one limb at a time. The cue is control, not range. Do two sets of 8–12 reps per side, three times weekly to start, and increase frequency as comfort grows. Dead bugs reduce the tendency to brace or hold the breath when lifting, which lowers spinal compression. For people with long-term back sensitivity, use smaller movements and consult a clinician for tailored progressions.