I am 33 years old, and I have pretty much had back problems since I was in my early twenties. Thanks to two rear-endings in cars where I was a passenger and suffered quite a bit of whiplash, and improper exercise techniques when I was younger, I think I permanently messed my alignment up in my back, and I’m constantly trying to make up for that today.

I also have an irregular curvature at the top of my spine, which is actually a fairly common disorder that could or could not throw off your posture and back alignment, making for a hard time being comfortable sometimes just sitting still. So, if you have back problems, as such a large percent of the population does, how can you exercise safely, should you exercise at all, and what are some precautions you can take to protect your back?

Well first of all, there are very few back problems that require you not get exercise in the traditional sense. In fact, being sedentary is probably the worst thing you can do for your back, even though it seems like it’s the thing that makes the most sense. Sitting still for long periods of time actually can compress the back and make the back muscles weaker, making it harder for them to support the back adequately, and resulting in more soreness and weakness.

Protecting the back during workouts is pretty simple once you get the hang of it. First, you want to have a solid core all the time, and by that, I mean solid abs and mid back. If this isn’t solid, it permits for back injury. Also, not making sudden or jerky movements is a good idea, and doing crunches and ab work with caution is important, as if they are done improperly it causes strain on the neck and back instead of working what it’s supposed to - the abs.

My massotherapist always tells me to make sure when doing arm work, to protect my back, to make sure my arms stay basically “in their sockets” and are not making too wide a range of motion. In other words, limit lifting arms above the head, and make sure the sturnum is always steady and straight, this helps to achieve alignment in the back and neck as well.

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