Back pain can vary not only in sensation but also in etiology (causes of occurrence).
Exercises for back pain can relieve discomfort. By strengthening your muscles, you make them more resilient and less susceptible to strain. For example, if you feel a dull ache in your lower back or between your shoulder blades, or discomfort when walking or sitting in one position for too long — it's often the result of weak gluteal and back muscles.

You can get rid of back pain by strengthening your "muscular corset" — and, of course, by exercising! As someone with extensive experience in sports acrobatics and circus arts, I can say this with confidence.

Causes of Back Pain

"Only older people suffer from back pain" — this is one of the biggest myths. The truth is, in recent decades, this kind of problem has become increasingly common at a younger age. I can confidently say that nearly everyone, regardless of age (including young people), occasionally experiences back discomfort. If this happens to you, don’t ignore it — inaction will only make the problem worse. But before treating back pain with exercise, it’s important to understand the cause:

• Herniated discs: Compression and inflammation of a nerve cause pain.
• Degenerative disc disease: Over time, spinal discs lose moisture and their walls break down, which can’t happen painlessly.
• Spinal stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal canal that puts pressure on nerve endings.
• Osteoarthritis: Wear and tear of the facet joints.
• Spinal deformities like scoliosis, and abnormal lordosis or kyphosis.
• Injuries and age-related changes.

Knowing the cause will help you and your trainer choose the right exercises. Keep in mind: if the pain lasts more than 3 months, it’s considered chronic — and chronic pain is harder to treat. That’s why it’s important to consult a specialist as soon as discomfort appears.

How to Heal Your Back with Exercise and Relieve Pain

To ease pain, consider signing up for online fitness sessions with a trainer, or try yoga or stretching. But physical activity alone isn’t enough. A holistic approach is key:

• Try to move more throughout your daily life;
• Watch your weight, ditch bad habits, and adopt a healthy diet — everything in the body is connected;
• Wear comfortable shoes;
• Sleep on a bed with an orthopedic mattress, and choose anatomical pillows.

I wish this alone were enough to answer the question, “How do I get rid of back pain?” — but in reality, in 89% of cases, the problem is solved only with the regular performance of specific exercises.

Simple and Effective Exercises for Back Pain

Exercises for lower back and back pain can help relieve discomfort, reduce fatigue, and prevent future episodes of unpleasant sensations — something 8 out of 10 people experience at some point in their lives. Let’s look at 5 simple ways to relieve back pain.

1. Relaxation on the Floor

Purpose: To relax the muscles of the back and hips, and to prepare the body for further exercises. This move can also be used to relieve acute pain during a flare-up.

Relaxation on the Floor

Lie on the floor and place your feet and calves on a chair or any raised surface. Your legs should be bent at a 90-degree angle at the knees. Then, spread your arms out to the sides and rest them on the floor with your palms facing up. Relax and try to breathe into your back and side ribs, gently lengthening your spine. Breathe with your diaphragm.

This exercise engages the muscles of the lower and upper back, as well as the glutes. Perform the exercise for about 5 minutes. If you’re experiencing pain between the shoulder blades, this kind of relaxation exercise can also be helpful.

Stretching

Purpose: To balance the length of the hip muscles. (Back pain often occurs when one leg becomes slightly “longer” or “higher” than the other due to muscle imbalances.)

Stretching

Lie on your back and bend your knees, letting them fall outward to the sides. Then, one at a time, gently move your right knee toward your stationary left knee on the floor, and vice versa.

Perform this exercise for 1 minute per leg.

This movement engages the hip muscles, glutes, and core.

3. Wall Exercises

Purpose: To stretch and warm up shortened hip and abdominal muscles before running or walking.

Wall Exercises

Lie on your back and lift your legs up, resting them against a wall. Slowly begin to spread your legs apart while keeping your feet perpendicular to the floor.

If your pelvis starts to lift off the ground as you spread your legs, move slightly farther away from the wall. Your pelvis should gently tilt toward the tailbone, but your lower back should not be pressed flat against the floor.

Perform this exercise for 2 minutes.

Seated Stretch

Sit in a chair with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and gently lean your hips forward. Interlace your fingers and turn your palms upward, stretching your arms forward until your elbows are fully extended.

Make sure your shoulders stay aligned on the same level. Don’t lean back or allow your elbows to bend — the goal is to stretch while staying relaxed.

This exercise targets the upper and lower back muscles and should be performed for 1 minute.

Wall Squats

This back pain relief routine combines all the previous exercises and is excellent for releasing tension in the back muscles.

Stand with your back against a wall and lean into it, then take a step forward without lifting your back off the wall. Squat down until your knees form a 90-degree angle. Then shift your weight from the balls of your feet to your heels, lengthening your spine and slightly tucking your pelvis under. Relax your shoulders and abdomen.

This exercise works the quadriceps, gluteal muscles, and hamstrings. This type of back pain workout helps eliminate discomfort, release muscle tension, and maintain good posture.

And Finally...

Everyone has their own back story — quite literally. Each case is unique. My training sessions are designed to help relieve back pain, but please don’t try to treat yourself on your own, as that can often make things worse.

Remember: certain exercises should be avoided when you have lower back pain — especially those involving improper lifting with a rounded back. These put too much stress on your spinal discs and often lead to herniated discs.

Now you have a general idea of how to relieve pain in the lower back and other areas of the spine. I’m confident that during a trial session, we can find the right exercises tailored to your specific needs. In my practice, I’ve worked with a variety of back issues — in the hips, lower back, and shoulder blade area — and for most people, targeted back exercises helped without any need for medication.

Wishing you great health,
Your fitness coach, Alevtina Titarenko 😉