Photo by Renee Barrett

Tips from Dylan Varga, fitness specialist How to do it Start by attaching a resistance band to a sturdy anchor point near the ground. This could be a heavy piece of furniture, allow squat rack, or some other anchor, and then loop the band around your ankle. Stand facing away from the band's anchor point with the band taut. Position your feet hip width apart. Slightly bend your knees and hinge at your hips to lean forward. Lift one leg straight back behind you, keeping it extended and without arching your lower back. Make sure to squeeze your glutes and hold for two seconds. Do three to four sets of 10-12 reps, switching legs in between. Benefits Hip extensions work the glutes and hamstrings. Work It! features a new exercise each week with guidance from a fitness professional at the Fitness Center at University Hospitals Avon Health Center. This eight-week series designed to strengthen the lower back was created by Dylan Varga, who specializes in overall health and fitness. A graduate of University of Dayton with a major in health sciences with a focus on exercise and movement science, Varga has personally struggled with glute/hamstring soreness and injury which has caused him to have lower back pain over the past five years. "The lower back is connected to so many different muscle groups such as the calves, glutes and hamstrings," he says. "So when one of the muscle groups is affected in some type of way, the rest of the connecting muscle groups will most likely be affected as well. Strengthening these muscle groups is crucial for posture and spinal health, balance, stability, injury prevention, and overall strength." For more information, call Program Manager Renee Barrett at 440-988-6822