About one half of the working population of the United States complains of back pain each year, according to the American Chiropractic Association. A bad back can sometimes serve as an excuse for neglecting exercise and fitness, especially if exercise causes even more pain. By choosing exercise that takes into account your bad back while strengthening your muscles, you can stay fit and even reduce some of your back pain.
Pilates
Pilates uses slow, controlled movements to help you strengthen your body and stretch your muscles. Pilates focuses on a neutral spine position, which can help teach you proper posture. Neutral spine means your pelvis is tucked in and your shoulders are straight and dropped, resulting in posture that can help relieve back pain. Pilates is typically a low-impact workout which can help you see impressive results. Consider taking a pilates class or renting a few pilates DVDs from the library to help you get started.
Water Aerobics
When your back is so bad that any type of movement and exercise causes you pain, water aerobics may be an ideal choice to help you strengthen your back without your feeling sore the next day. That's because the water helps to cushion some of the impact of your exercises, while still giving you a chance to gain strength by working against the resistance of the water, notes BBC Health. Most recreation centers and gyms offer water aerobic classes. Start with a beginner's class and gauge how your back feels afterward to decide if it's the right type of exercise for you.
Body Weight Resistance
With a bad back, it's doubtful that you'll be heading to the gym to perform dead lifts and back presses. You can still add resistance training to your workouts to build muscle without hurting your back. Rainham Physiotherapy Centre suggests exercises that use your own natural body weight as resistance for a lower impact workout with big results. By lying on the floor with your knees bent and using your back and feet to lift your bottom off the floor, you can help strengthen your lower back without lifting major weights. Rely on your body to provide the resistance to avoid back injury for lifting free weights or using a heavy weight machine.
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