You may have heard that exercise is good for back pain. But how can you stay active with back pain bothering you?

Why Staying Active is Important

The federal government releases recommendations with respect to physical activity. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans lists numerous health benefits to staying active. They include mental benefits such as reduced anxiety, improved memory, and better sleep. In addition, there is a long list of physical benefits with regular physical activity. These include heart benefits and reduced risk of high blood pressure, improved mobility, increased bone and muscle strength.

Improved mobility and increased muscle strength can sometimes help reduce back pain.  In addition, increased bone strength and mobility can reduce the risk of osteoarthritis, a condition which can lead to back pain.

How Can You Stay Active with Back Pain?

1. Walk

Walking is an often overlooked form of exercise but can be extremely beneficial. It provides many of the benefits of other forms of exercise but doesn’t require any special skills or equipment. Walking can be done almost anywhere. In addition, most individuals can walk, regardless of their condition. Even those that have difficulty walking can start out slow and will find that, before long, they can walk for longer periods of time.

2. Swim

If you have access to a place to swim, swimming can be a great activity for individuals suffering from back pain.  The benefits of swimming are similar to other physical activities. Swimming also has the added benefit of being low impact, so there is less stress on your joints, including the joints in your spine.

Read More: Why Swimming is Good For Back Pain

3. Stretch

There are various stretches that can help reduce back pain and potentially enable you to do more vigorous activities. You can start with the easier stretches and work your way up to stretching techniques such as pilates or yoga. Here are a list of light exercises you can do at home to get started.

Read More: Pilates for Back Pain

Back pain may make life more difficult, but it doesn’t mean you have to stop being active. In fact, being active is a great way to help reduce and eliminate your back pain. If you’re not ready for vigorous activities yet, try these three methods for staying active with back pain. Your body will thank you.

References:

• Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition (health.gov)
• Walking, Physical Activity CDC