Lower back pain: How exercise helps

When you’re in pain you may feel like resting, but staying active is good for your back. Exercises for lower back pain can strengthen back, stomach and leg muscles. They help support your spine, relieving back pain. Ideally, choose activities that involve endurance,strength and flexibility such as walking, swimming or cycling. Always check with your GP before doing any exercise for back pain. Depending on the cause and intensity of your pain, some exercises may not be recommended and can be harmful.

Try: Aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercise like walking, swimming and cycling may help reduce back pain. It strengthens your lungs, heart and blood vessels and can also help you lose weight, relieving strain on your back. Start with short sessions and build up over time. If your back is hurting, try swimming, where the water supports your body. Avoid any strokes that twist your body.

Avoid: Toe touches

Exercise is good for low back pain -- but not all exercises are beneficial. Standing toe touches, for example, put greater stress on the discs and ligaments in your spine. They can also overstretch lower back muscles and hamstrings. You may want to start with low impact, easy exercises. Any mild discomfort felt at the start should disappear as muscles become stronger. But, if pain is more than mild or lasts more than 15 minutes, you should stop exercising and seek medical advice.

Try: Partial crunches

Some exercises can aggravate back pain and should be avoided if you have acute lower back pain. Partial crunches can help strengthen your back and stomach muscles. Lie with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.  Cross arms over your chest or put hands behind your neck. Tighten stomach muscles and raise your shoulders off the floor.  Breathe out as you raise your shoulders. Don't lead with your elbows or use arms to pull your neck off the floor. Hold for a second, then slowly lower back down. Repeat eight to 12 times. Proper form prevents excessive stress on your lower back. Your feet, tailbone and lower back should remain in contact with the mat at all times.

Avoid: Sit-ups

You might think sit-ups can strengthen your core or abdominal muscles, but unfortunately most people tend to use muscles in the hips when doing sit-ups. These exercises may also put a lot of pressure on the discs in your spine.

Try: Hamstring stretches

Lie on your back and bend one knee. Loop a towel under the ball of your foot. Straighten your knee and slowly pull back on the towel. You should feel a gentle stretch down the back of your leg. Hold for at least 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat two to four times for each leg.

Avoid: Leg lifts

Leg lifts are sometimes suggested as an exercise to "strengthen your core" or abdominal muscles. Exercising to restore strength to your lower back can be very helpful in relieving pain, but lifting both legs together while lying on your back can make back pain worse. Instead, try lying on your back with one leg straight and the other leg bent at the knee. Slowly lift the straight leg up about 6 inches and hold briefly. Lower leg slowly. Repeat 10 times, then change legs.

Try: Wall sits

Stand 10 to 12 inches from the wall, then lean back until your back is flat against the wall. Slowly slide down until your knees are slightly bent, pressing your lower back into the wall. Hold for a count of five, then carefully slide back up the wall. Repeat five times.

Try: Press-up back extensions

Lie on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders. Push with your hands so your shoulders begin to lift off the floor. If it’s comfortable for you, put your elbows on the floor directly under your shoulders and hold this position for several seconds. 

Try: Bird dog

Start on your hands and knees and tighten your stomach muscles. Lift and extend one leg behind you. Keep hips level. Hold for five seconds and then switch to the other leg. Repeat eight to 12 times for each leg and try to lengthen the time you hold each lift. Try lifting and extending your opposite arm for each repetition. This exercise is a great way to learn how to stabilise the lower back during movement of the arms and legs. While doing this exercise don't let the lower back muscles sag. Only raise the limbs to heights where the low back position can be maintained.

Try: Knee to chest

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Bring one knee to your chest, keeping the other foot flat on the floor. Keep your lower back pressed to the floor, and hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Then lower your knee and repeat with the other leg. Do this two to four times for each leg.

Try: Pelvic tilts

Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on floor. Tighten your stomach by pulling in and imagining your belly button moving toward your spine. You’ll feel your back pressing into the floor and your hips and pelvis rocking back. Hold for 10 seconds while breathing in and out smoothly. Repeat eight to 12 times.

Try: Bottom lifts

Lie on your back with knees bent and just your heels on the floor. Push your heels into the floor, squeeze your buttocks, and lift your hips off the floor until shoulders, hips and knees are in a straight line. Hold about six seconds, and then slowly lower hips to the floor and rest for 10 seconds. Repeat five times. Avoid arching your lower back as your hips move upward. You can avoid overarching by tightening your abdominal muscles prior and throughout the lift.

Lifting weights may help

Done properly, lifting weights doesn’t usually hurt your back. In fact, it may help relieve chronic back pain. But when you have acute (sudden) back pain, putting extra stress on back muscles and ligaments could increase risk of further injury. Ask your GP or physiotherapist whether you should lift weights, and which exercises to avoid.

Try: Some pilates moves

Pilates combines stretching, strengthening and core abdominal exercises. Under the instruction of an experienced teacher, it may help some people with back pain. Tell your instructor about your back pain, because you may need to avoid or adjust some moves.

Related reading

• Slideshow: Back pain myths
• Slideshow: Surprising reasons you're in pain
• Preventing back pain
• Living with chronic pain
• Anatomy guide: curvature disorders
• Anatomy guide: lower back disorders