Stay Active

Stay active during back pain:

Your spine was designed to move. People who are active usually have less back pain, and recover faster if they do experience it.

Regular exercise can:

  • make your bones and muscles stronger
  • improve your overall health
  • help you stay flexible
  • make you feel good!

It may not be easy or pain-free to stay active while dealing with back pain. But the longer you wait to get your body moving, the harder it will be. The key is to listen to y our body and notice how you feel after you are active. Over time, you’ll be able to do more with less pain.

Types of exercise:

Even if your back hurts, you can try gentle exercise for a few minutes at a time. Moving your body can actually help with muscle spasms. Try:

  • walking
  • swimming or water aerobics
  • riding an exercise bike
  • yoga or Pilates

If you take an exercise class, let your instructor know about your back pain so he or she can advise on which moves to modify or skip. Steer clear of high-impact exercises or ones that involve a lot of twisting or jumping until your back is feeling better.

How much exercise:

A complete exercise program should include aerobic activity, stretching, strength training, and balance activities. Aerobic activity, or “cardio,” makes you breathe harder and your heart beat faster. Most healthy adults need 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week to get the most health benefits. When you’re doing a moderate-intensity activity, you should be able to talk, but not sing. 

We understand that 150 minutes sounds like a lot, especially when you’re having a backache. Start out at an easy pace, and gradually add a few minutes each day. Youcan even break it up into smaller chunks of time of at least 10 minutes, and spread it out through the week. For example, you could go for a 10-minute walk 3 times a day for 5 days. Everyone has to start somewhere, and some exercise is better than none. So if you’re just starting out, or if you’ve fallen out of the habit of exercising, give yourself the credit you deserve for getting back on track!

“Most of us will have an episode of back pain in our life. And for most of us, it will be a problem that will go away. If you do have an episode of back pain, it is important that you stay active.” - Tony Chiodo, M.D., Director, U-M Spine Program