If you are suffering from back pain whether in your upper or lower back there is plenty of evidence that exercise is the best way to eliminate the pain and strengthen your core muscles. But like anything there are exercises to avoid. Of course the first thing to do is visit your doctor and determine the extent of your back pain. Fortunately a lot of back pain will just go away, however if you have a herniated disc and or sciatica it’s best to take it easy and follow your doctor’s advice.

Assuming that you back pain is not serious a regular routine of stretching exercises and gentle strengthening exercises will relieve your pain, speed your recovery and prevent additional back problems. However use your common sense there are exercises to avoid.

Any exercise that involve sudden twisting, turning and lifting. Stay out of the weight room and away from the machines at least until you have recovered from your back pain.

Leg lifts, sit ups and crunches: These will put a strain on your back and should be avoided. In fact you should not ever do these exercises because of the problems they can create in your back. If you want six pack abs there are many other exercises that will do the same thing with a lot less chance of injuring your back.

Running: The jarring and stress that running puts on your back will only make a bad back worse, slow down and walk.

Contact Sports: Watch the football game instead of playing and stay away from the basketball and tennis court. Those quick turns and twist movements that are common in most vigorous sports are murder on your back.

The bottom line is use your commonsense. Avoid strenuous exercises and sports. Be patient! Slowly build back your strength and flexibility by following an exercise routine that involves stretching and core strengthening movements. These are design to relieve instead of aggravate your back pain. In time you will be able to resume a more intense workout.

If you’ve ever had a sore back, you know what a pain it can be. There’s the literal pain, but there’s also the frustration of being unable to get comfortable in any position. That stress can actually cause your muscles to tighten and sort of lock up. That can create even more pain, unless you break the cycle.

One thing that you could do, with your doctor’s advice and permission, is take a muscle relaxant medication. Such medications can loosen up your muscles and relieve pain. However, it’s not a good idea to resort to medications unless you really have to.

An alternative to medication is to simply apply heat to your back. A hot water bottle or heating pad can work wonders for relieving muscle tension. In fact, it can relieve all of your general stress and tension, which could have contributed to your back problem in the first place.

Another option is to take a hot bath or shower. Of course, that will depend on exactly how much your back hurts. After all, it can be dangerous to take a bath or shower if you may not be able to get in and out of the tub easily. In fact, even if you think you can handle it, you should have a family member near by, just in case you fall or get stuck in your tub.

As long as you can reduce your muscle tension, your back issue should heal up quickly. If it doesn’t, though, call your doctor. Otherwise, you could have a chronic problem on your hands.

Back troubles is one of the most common ailments today. Whether it is due to strain or injury, it can be debilitating and extremely frustrating. Luckily there are things that you can do to prevent back ailments from returning or occurring in the first place. Strength training is one of the best ways to deal with your back problems.

It goes without saying that lower back ailments can be found in people who don’t exercise and don’t eat properly, which leads to obesity. Excess weight puts an extreme demand on joints and muscles resulting in damaging strain that leads to lower back troubles. There is a direct correlation between undeveloped stomach muscles and back pain. Without strong stomach muscles undo pressure is put upon the spine which in turn causes back troubles.

Bad posture is another reason for back pain. Your bad posture may be caused by a lifetime habit of slouching or it could be caused by fatigue, (One of the best ways to fight fatigue to get into better shape!)

Before you start any exercise program check with your doctor, especially if you have a history of back pain or if you are currently experiencing back pain. Strengthening your stomach muscles is one of the first things that you should do, combined with eating properly to reduce back pain.

Walking is beneficial for so many reasons including strengthening your back. Just remember that posture is very important when walking. Get in the habit of not slouching, stand up straight, and keep your chin up and your eyes looking forward.