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Exercises For Inactive Older Women With Lower Back Pain

There's a vicious cycle when it comes to back pain--regular exercise can make it feel better, but can also aggravate it in the short term. Exercises for inactive women with lower back pain should ease you into a regular routine. Start slowly with all exercises and build your way up to a regular routine. Be sure to properly warm up before exercising and use heat or ice on your back as needed.

  1. Cardio Exercise

    • Light daily cardiovascular exercise helps you to use your back muscles, helping to alleviate pain. If you start out with too much exercise, though, you can injure your back even more. Start by dedicating just ten minutes a day to cardio exercise. As this becomes easier, gradually increase the amount of time that you exercise.

      Walking makes for great exercise, because you can do it anywhere and without any special equipment. An elliptical machine gives you a similar workout, but is low impact, which could be easier on your knees and back. Perhaps the best exercise for lower back pain is swimming, which has no impact. Whichever exercise you choose should be one that you enjoy doing, which will help you stick to your program.

    Core Strengthening Exercises

    • In some cases, lower back pain comes from having weak stomach muscles. The stomach muscles support the back. Because of this, it's a good idea to incorporate exercises that strengthen your core muscles.

      If you are able to exercise on your back without too much pain, Pilates is a good way to work your core in a gentle way. Some women with lower back pain, however, cannot lie on their backs for a long period of time. If this is the case, try core building exercises that you can do standing up. For example, by putting your hands behind your head, you can do crunches by bring your left knee up to your right elbow and crunching down with your right elbow.

      If you're having trouble finding exercises that you can do that don't hurt your back, schedule a meeting with a personal trainer.

    Stretching Exercises

    • Stretching exercises can help to keep your whole body limber, alleviating your lower back pain. Look for exercises that stretch your lower back. For example, a forward bend while holding onto your elbows gives you a nice stretch in your lower back. You can also try lying on your back and pulling your legs into your chest.

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