Exercising with a bad back?

You should get checked out by a doctor or PT to see what is wrong with your back. And Yoga is great, you won't improve your balance until you start training it, so once you're medically cleared, find a beginner's yoga class and go for it. And, you can probably find a facility that has a lap pool that is all shallow water as well, if you want to give swimming a go.

Have you considered yoga or pilates? Yoga has really helped straighten out all of my back problems. I also have a friend whos scoliosis straightened out because of yoga and she grew an inch.

I hurt my back 2 yes ago at work and now I'm in the same boat as you. I always have to stretch and have a good warm up before I excecise. After stretching I warm up on the elliptical...

I've struggled with my back too for ages and is normally down to running or cycling and will just go without notice.
I've started doing a yoga/pilates DVD at home every other day for the last couple of weeks and evrything feels so much stronger now within my core and am hoping this will do the trick. Running especially used to aggrivate it but all good so far.
It's got to be worth a try and think you'll notice a considerable difference as I have.

Good luck...

I have lower back problems.. doc said was more muscle problem than anything.. They get so bad that even driving hurts...I was doing Zumba religiously but it the Zumba 3 for the wii would throw my back out when I do it daily so I had to cut it down to twice a week and started walking and riding around the neighborhood more.. also the elliptical didn't cause any pain..

I recently have done my first week of Insanity with no issues either. I think it just a matter of trying out different things but mixing it up might help some..

How about a recumbent tricycle?

I have one and it's great. No balance issues and very comfortable for my back (I have a disk degeneration disorder).

I had back problems for the last few years. Once I started using elliptical my back has been getting better and better. It is a really great feeling to be able to finally do every day things without all the pain in my lower back.

I've seen 3 Drs all of which say my back problems are due to being overweight and don't seem too interested in looking at other posibilites. They just give me painkillers and send me on my way.

I recommend going to a chiropractor. When I was at my heaviest, I spent 6 months in excruciating pain because my family doctor and the physical therapist he sent me to insisted I had injured myself - as in, a pulled muscle or something - because of my weight. They just kept prescribing me steroids and pain killers and muscle relaxants to no effect. I was in so much pain that I couldn't even stand up straight, I had to take several weeks on medical leave, and I would curl up on our sofa I went to a chiropractor recommended by a friend and eventually it turned out that I actually had a herniated disc that needed surgery. I'm sure my weight played into the injury, but my family doctor treated me like I was an idiot for 6 months because he didn't want to consider that I had actually legitimately injured myself.

I hope you're able to find out what's wrong and get it fixed. Best of luck to you!

Is swimming an option? its great for those who have injuries of any kind or as you - back issues.

I have a HORRIBLE back. My back is so bad that it's out of alignment and I will have a permanent bruise on my spine from where it shifts funny. For me, yoga, Pilates and anything involving core work was excruciating. However, standing up exercises like cardio work on the elliptical I could do. I'm just now small enough that toning exercises are coming into play and what I do is Planks and use the yoga ball to cradle my spine whenever I try to do other things for my core. Whatever you chose to do, standing up may be the best option. Swimming is good, but even that occasionally would tweak my spine so be cautious in movement.