#1 Exercise for Lower Back Pain

Low back pain can make simple tasks, like bending over or getting out of bed, feel terribly difficult, especially as we get older. Yet back pain is surprisingly common, with as many as eight out of 10 people experiencing at least one episode during their lifetimes. Back pain can be caused by a long list of things — muscle or tendon strains, arthritis, structural problems or disc injuries. The number of hours most Americans spend sitting also contributes to the problem. 

In older adults, pain is often caused by degenerative changes to the discs in the spine.

“We start to wear, tear and degenerate,” says Ken Hansraj, M.D., a spinal and orthopedic surgeon in New York and author of Watch Your Back: Nine Proven Strategies to Reduce Neck and Back Pain without Surgery. 

If you experience severe back pain that persists for more than a few days or if it’s accompanied by symptoms like numbness, weakness or tingling, difficulty urinating, fever or unintended weight loss, federal health guidelines recommend seeing a spine specialist who can pinpoint the problem.

Persistent back pain lasting longer than six weeks is also a reason to consult a specialist.

For back pain, focus on your belly

Research reveals that the key to relieving back pain isn’t doing “back” exercises but focusing on activities that strengthen your core.

Indeed, a 2022 review of 118 trials published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy found that core-based exercises are among the most effective interventions at easing low back pain and disability.

When your abdominal muscles are not strong, your postural alignment is thrown off and your spine must work harder to keep your body in balance, Hansraj says. 

Strengthening the core muscles provides extra stability and support for your spine, creating “a sort of an internal brace around those painful areas,” explains Rojeh Melikian, M.D., an orthopedic spine surgeon at DISC Sports & Spine Center in Newport Beach, California. 

Hansraj and Melikian recommend starting with isometric core exercises that minimize bending or twisting, because too much movement can aggravate problem areas and worsen pain.