Ways to Overcome Back Ache and Still Exercise

Inactive muscles lead to obesity, and it makes it more difficult to keep your weight down if you are fighting back pain. Obviously the best way around this problem is to make sure the back area is properly kept in shape, and keeping the back area strong with your physical fitness programs will be great preventive maintenance. In light of that, you will not want to do exercises that over-exert or cause damage or injury to your back.

So what type of exercises can you do if you have back pain, or more specifically lower back pain, which is most typical of athletes and weekend warriors. How significant the injury is will be important, of course, but provided you can stand, walk, or lift light objects, we will assume your back pain is at least manageable. Here are some exercises you may consider:

1. Water aerobics. Most involve activities in waist-deep water while keeping Styrofoam weights lifted overhead. These exercises are low impact and will be easy on the back.

2. Swimming. Sticking to backstroke or breaststroke will cause the least stress on the back, but swimming is great cardio as long as you don't fully extend the body. The water can actually help to relieve back pain.

3. Exercises that use body weight. Squats and knee push ups that don't use additional weight are normally safe, as the amount of weight used will not be excessively taxing. Just be sure to prevent the lower back from bending.

4. Weight machines. Provided you use the right exercises techniques, you can use weight machines without further aggravating a back injury. If you sit up straight and pull in your stomach during the routine, your abdominal muscles will support your lower back. Being pain-free in a seated position, the machine's controlled motion will be less risky than free weights that will require balance.

5. Recumbent bicycle. When riding a bicycle that places you in a laid-back reclining position, your weight will be more comfortably distributed over a larger area. This great aerobic training exercise will alleviate back pain you would probably get if you peddled sitting upright on a conventional bike.

Some exercises that you should avoid at all costs if you have back pain are:

1. Exercises that are painful. As always, listen to what your body tells you. If something is painful, you are aggravating something, which will not promote healing.

2. Bending at the waist. Any exercise that requires repetitive waist-bending, such as dead lifts or crunches, is bad for the lower back.

3. Holding weight away from the body. These exercises have to have the back, and mostly the lower back involved to provide stability and balance. A few of these are overhead presses, side raises and front raises.

Back pain can lead to a lack of physical exercise, and that can lead to overweight and obesity. The combination of back pain and obesity can make it extremely difficult to exercise, but not impossible. If you are properly motivated, there is always a way to overcome a physical handicap to get on a regular exercise routine.