How To Prevent Low Back Pain When Doing Burpees
Shin Ohtake
Fitness & Fat-Loss Coach
Traditional burpees often cause excessive low back flexion during the transitioning phase from the push up plank position to the squat position. And this can be problematic for people that suffer from low back pain. Performing burpees with elevated handles can greatly help mitigate this problem.
Elevated burpees is a modified version of the traditional burpees. The handles I'm using are designed training L-Sits, so they're about 12-14 inches high which are significantly higher than regular push up handles. However, the height of these handles help prevent (or minimize) flexion of the low back when transitioning from the push up position to the squat position.
There is one caveat though, and that is these burpees are slightly easier than regular burpees since you're shortening the distance you have to travel from the plank position to an upright squat position. Nonetheless, it's a great alternative for people that suffer from low back pain (like myself) that still want to incorporate burpees in their workouts.