Strength exercise with a bad back?

noojim

As a background: I've had a "bad back" since I was a (fit and normal weighing) teenager and often had lower back pain. Major problems with the back started in my mid-20s, possibly worsened by a physical job and certainly by putting on too much weight. I was eventually diagnosed with a herniated disc but told I didn't need an operation, as long as I could stay on top of the pain. And obviously that I needed to lose weight. I did lose weight to begin with and joined a gym, but every kind of work out, even just a gentle cross trainer, left my back in agony the next day, so I didn't stick with it.

Now it's been years since my worst back problems. I've lost 2 more stones in the past six months (could do with losing 2 more). I walk pretty much every day, but I'd like to start doing some strength exercise as well. I'm just very worried about my back. It's still sore every day, at times with sciatica pain down my legs, though I can more or less ignore it most of the time. I've even ditched the painkillers now, thanks to some bad LFTs.

Back in my old gym the instructors pretty much told me to just stick to the gentle cardio stuff as they seemed unsure what I should or shouldn't do with my back. That seems a bit of a pity to me... I'd like to be able to improve my core muscles, as I'd imagine that might eventually improve the back pain. Not to mention all the other benefits of better muscle strength.

Does anyone have any tips or ideas?

Yukongil

I've struggled with back pain since I was a teenager after hurting myself doing factory work. Much, much later I tried P90X and really hurt it over doing it and letting my form go to ****e.

I've been very timid with my back since then, always fearing I'd reinjure it, so I started walking to help strengthen those muscles and easing into strength training. With proper form and the right exercises, you shouldn't be using your back to lift. Just go at your own pace, be a stickler to proper form and I think you can do it. I'd also see a back doc to see if they have any prescribed exercises to focus on or avoid

NCchar130

My background is very similar to yours, right down the when the pain started (my teens) at a time when I was a fit and active person. I officially herniated several disks in 2007. I was in a lot of pain, sometimes severe and disabling, for a couple of years.

I did have a microdiskectomy in 2009 when I was 30. Unfortunately, there is permanent nerve damage in my left leg.

When I started exercising seriously in August of this year, with my doctor's permission to do whatever activity I liked as long as I didn't experience "bad"pain, I started with walking 3 days a week and doing calisthenics with just my body weight 3 times a week (pushups, planks, squats, lunges, etc). From my experience, focus on FORM more than repetitions or anything else at first. Watch Youtube videos, work out in front of a mirror or friend, whatever you need to do to make sure you aren't doing anything weird that will cause more pain.

After about a month or 6 weeks of that, I started going to the gym 3 times a week and using certain weight machines and also heavy (for me) dumbbells to do squats and lunges, again, focusing on form above anything else. I continued doing cardio of some type 3 other days a week.

I continue to work out with weights 3x week and cardio 3x week and I have 'graduated' from walking to running. I'm up to 27 minutes of running and I'm working on increasing my speed.

I've made a lot of progress and other than a twinge here and there which I have been able to alleviate with topical magnesium, soaks in the tub, ibuprofen, and stretching, I have had no problems at all.

So I would say, focus on form and take it slow. If using free weights or machines is not something your back can handle, try calisthenics-type exercises using just your bodyweight for awhile until you are stronger.

noojim

Thanks, good to hear some good experiences.

Learning the right forms it is, then. A gym near me has a good off peak deal at the moment, so I'm going to give it a go in near future. Must check out techniques and double check the right ways to use everything, and start slow and light. In the mean time I'm sure to look into calisthenics.

citizencrp

Hi, I also have a bad back. a very naughty back indeed.
ruptured and herniated discs up and down the spine, but the problems that have historically been a problem are lumbar. I've had many many medical procedures on that area including 2 surgeries (laminectomies and discectomies), the most recent being a year and a half ago.

My most recent bout in physical therapy (last summer, post surgery) had me slowly building up core strength. It was great. I, of course, have completely let that go and am weak again, but there were quite a few exercises that I could do that built up my strength. The workouts were not the kind you'd see people doing in a gym necessarily. they were all things designed to be done at home. A lot of work with therabands--those stretchy resistance bands that are cheap and light and portable. Also, instead of sit ups, I did planks, slowly building up the time and or incline of the plank. I think if you google Physical therapy for Lumbar spine....you'll find some good videos.
Also pilates that can be done at home without equipment is core building.
Lots of free pilates videos as well, just be sure you include "physical therapy" in your search terms.
my Physical therapist always reminded me to stick to a plan, but to keep that plan kinda slow and steady. Do NOT overdo it. Do 10 easy reps of something and if it feels easy: good. Still do 10 easy reps of it for the next 5 days, don't increase it just because it felt easy or like you think you can push it...that's is where we can exacerbate our problems. We aren't like the other people at the gym. We are special. Their trainers say.."give me 10 more!--tired yet? great! now give me 5 more!" and we get to do the same 10 reps until we are bored stiff and then we get to do 12.
Really! She used to get mad at me for counting too slow.

noojim

Thanks citizencrp. Your back does sound very naughty! Hope it's behaving itself better these days.

A lot of work with therabands--those stretchy resistance bands that are cheap and light and portable.

I think I actually have one of these! A kindly soul gave me one, as their physiotherapist had recommended it for back pain. I just haven't really known what to do with it, but now that I know what it's called, I'm sure google will help.

Yukongil

I haven't experienced it myself, since I"m cheap and workout at home with resistance bands and some dumb bells, but I've heard that machines are bad for form (since they force you into unnatural planes of movement) and can even be detrimental (by balancing the weight for you, they take off some of the core building load you'd get with free weights) so that any percieved benefit of safety is actually negated.

Just food for thought.

noojim

I haven't experienced it myself, since I"m cheap and workout at home with resistance bands and some dumb bells, but I've heard that machines are bad for form (since they force you into unnatural planes of movement) and can even be detrimental (by balancing the weight for you, they take off some of the core building load you'd get with free weights) so that any percieved benefit of safety is actually negated.

Just food for thought.

Interesting, I hadn't really thought about that. I don't really have any space to do stuff at home; there's barely a clear spot to sit on the floor, let alone do exercise. Also a gym has less distractions, and I really loved the power showers and such extras, which kind of acted as a motivator to get me there in the first place. But certainly something to think about...

leslieilsel

I've been dealing with lower back pain for about 8 months now. I started babying my back when I first got my injury and lost all of my core. I am slowly starting to get it back. I find the stronger my core, the less it hurts. I started Pure Barre and it helps a lot. It's low impact and never hurts my back. Yes I do feel soreness in my back, but not the pain that makes it hard for me to even sleep. Stretching really helps as well. Especially my hip flexors. My favorite stretch is to find a doorway and have one leg straight on the ground and the other on the wall making sure my hips are as close to the wall as possible. It make my back go "aaahhh, thank you."

Hang in there!

bradwwood

my story is similar to several here. I've had three surgeries, date range between 1994 and 2000.

I did a lot of laying around and "protecting" myself after going under the knife three times, and it probably did me more harm than good. Getting strong is the best thing, in my opinion, that you can do.

I stretch every single night like religion.

There are a lot of different things you can do. You want to strengthen your core, but how you do that is really up to you and what resources you have. Doing sit ups or crunches is what I used to think of when people said "strengthen your core", but I now know it is a lot of stuff, like push ups, squats, lunges, planks, etc.

Even if all you do is go out and walk, that is better than nothing. if you focus on posture and standing up straight, and go walk a few miles, you will notice your mid section getting a good workout. My problem with walking is the amount of time it takes. I'd rather spend that hour and get a more well rounded workout.