The Best (and Worst) Exercises for a Bad Back
One of the most frustrating things about back pain is not knowing what you're allowed to do. Should you push through and keep exercising? Rest completely? Go to the gym but avoid certain machines? The conflicting advice online doesn't help. So let's cut through it.
The truth is: movement is generally good for your back — but not all movement is equal. Here's a practical guide to what helps, what hurts, and how to think about exercise when your spine is playing up.
Why Exercise Matters for Disc Health
Your intervertebral discs don't have a direct blood supply. They rely on a process called imbibition — essentially absorbing nutrients through movement and pressure changes in the spine. When you move well, the discs stay hydrated and healthy. When you're sedentary or moving badly, they gradually dry out and become more vulnerable to injury.
This is why complete rest is rarely the answer for back pain. Some movement — the right kind — actually accelerates recovery and protects the disc long-term.
Exercises That Tend to Help
Walking is underrated. A 20–30 minute walk on a relatively flat surface keeps the spine gently mobile, encourages disc nutrition, and doesn't load the lumbar spine heavily. If you're in Sydney CBD, even a lunchtime walk along the waterfront counts.
Swimming and water-based exercise is excellent for back pain because the buoyancy reduces compressive load while still allowing full-body movement. Backstroke in particular is generally spine-friendly.
Core stability work — when done correctly — builds the muscular support system around your spine. The emphasis here is on stability (think bird-dog, dead bug, gentle bridges) rather than high-intensity ab work. A stable core takes load off the discs.
Stretching the hips and glutes is often overlooked. Tight hips shift load onto the lumbar spine, so releasing them can noticeably reduce lower back tension.
Exercises That Often Make Things Worse
Deadlifts and heavy squats with a rounded lower back place enormous compressive and shear force on the lumbar discs. These exercises can be done safely with excellent technique, but if you're in pain and your form isn't dialled in, they're high risk.
High-impact running on hard surfaces when the spine is already irritated adds repetitive loading that can inflame an already angry disc. If running is your thing, softer surfaces and shorter distances during a flare-up are much kinder.
Heavy twisting motions — like certain cable rotations or sports that involve a lot of rotation under load — can stress an already compromised disc annulus.
How to Know What's Right for You
The honest answer is that it depends on your specific diagnosis, how acute your pain is, and what's actually going on in your spine. A disc bulge behaves differently to a muscle strain or a facet joint issue, and the same exercise can be helpful for one and harmful for another.
At Complete City Health in Sydney CBD, we assess your spine properly before making movement recommendations. If you're also undergoing Spinal Decompression Therapy with us, we'll guide you on what to do (and avoid) between sessions to support your recovery — not slow it down.
The goal is always to get you moving confidently again, with a clear understanding of what your spine needs.