Exercising to protect and strengthen the back

Regular exercise helps people to lose excess weight and improve overall health. It can also help prevent back pain and injury. A review of studies concerning exercise to protect the back found that people who worked out regularly experienced less back pain and had fewer sick days because of back pain than did nonexercisers.

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Exercises for back pain focus on strengthening the muscles in the back and abdomen and stretching the muscles in the back. A physical therapist can instruct you in exercises such as the pelvic tilt, cat stretch, and "crunches" (partial sit-ups). In addition, walking is an effective way to strengthen the back and improve posture.