Back painFitness & exercisePain management

6 exercises to try if you have back pain

Certain workouts can aggravate back pain. Try these alternatives instead.


LearnFitness6 exercises to try if you have back pain
Avoid: Crunches
How to plank
Avoid: High-impact activities
Avoid: Running
Avoid: Biking off road
Avoid: Lifting heavy weights
Listen to your body

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Having back pain doesn’t mean you have to spend your free hours on the couch. In fact, sitting for long stretches of time may actually worsen back pain.

If you’ve injured your back or if you have chronic low-back pain, consult with a healthcare provider (HCP) on the best ways to rehab. Then discuss a plan to get moving again. There are plenty of exercises you can do to strengthen your muscles (especially those in your core) to help strengthen your back and prevent reinjury.

Allen Kaisler-Meza, MD, a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist and Chief Medical Officer at RehabOne Medical Group in San Jose, California, offers tips on which exercises to avoid if you have back pain and which to do instead.

Sources: OrthoInfo. Low Back Pain. Last reviewed ... + 4
  1. OrthoInfo. Low Back Pain. Last reviewed August 2021.
  2. Medline Plus. Taking care of your back at home. Last reviewed August 13, 2020.
  3. Harvard Medical School. Straight talk on planking. November 13, 2019.
  4. Spine-health. Stationary Bike. May 23, 2007.
  5. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Lower Back Pain Fact Sheet. Accessed November 7, 2022.
Written by Ana Lopez.
Medically reviewed by Amy Gonzales, MD.November, 2024
Updated onOctober, 2026
Written by Ana Lopez.
Medically reviewed by Amy Gonzales, MD.November, 2024
Updated onOctober, 2026
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