Should I Workout With Lower Back pain?
This blog explores whether you should work out with lower back pain and explains how movement can sometimes help rather than harm. It breaks down how the body responds to perceived threat and why staying active may support recovery.
Using a real-life example, it highlights how modifying workouts and choosing tolerable movements can improve symptoms. It also explains when to be cautious and how to recognize warning signs that require professional attention.
If you are unsure what your body needs, working with an Athletic Trainer or Movement Therapy Professional can help you better understand your pain and movement options.
6 min Read
I actually Googled this, and to my (and probably your) surprise, the answer was YES!
Here’s the thing…this has been my belief for quite some time. I just wasn’t prepared for Google to agree with me! (I wouldn’t say Dr Google and I always agree) But this answer is way too simple.
My Real Life Example
I’m going to start with a real life (and recent example)
Last Wednesday I got out of bed in the morning and my low back was cranky. At first I couldn’t exactly place it and what I felt….just tight and off. I took a shower and got dressed to take my dog out for a walk.
As we walked, bending down to pick up poop was fairly uncomfortable, this was interrupting my normal walk.
I could feel this was all on my left side of my lower back/SI Joint kinda region. I had previously planned to go to the gym for a class. Not going didn’t even cross my mind. I can always modify what the class was doing and wanted to keep moving and see if I could get this to loosen up.
I got to the gym and did some mobility work. Coregous ball around my abdomen, sides and low back, pelvic tilts, cat and cow, supine rotations and hip shifts. This is what I felt I needed, it may not be the same for you! (Though almost everyone could benefit from Coregous ball breathing.) Again this is what worked for me and my situation. Every person’s back pain is different and needs to be treated as such. This is why I don’t do cookie cutter programs. What you and YOUR body’s needs are what I look at!
I modified the workout. I wasn’t going to Deadlift or Squat anything. But I was able to do the rowing machine with zero discomfort in my back, let’s go! I was also able to do step ups with pretty much zero discomfort. So that was my workout! For 10 rounds I rowed 10 calories then did 10 step ups per side. This didn’t crush me and back didn’t feel worse during it. Win!
The rest of the day was sore but not worse than before the workout. I made sure I got up regularly so as to not get too stiff or tight again.
That evening I was scheduled to play pickleball. I was already filling in for someone and I was the 4th, so I didn’t really want to cancel….so off I went to play! For some this could backfire and make their back tighten up, but it really depends on why your back is hurting to begin with.
See I knew this wasn’t being driven from a muscle issue.
I didn’t have a mechanism. I didn’t do anything to have “strained” the muscle
When I did things to contract muscles in my back or lower back, that didn’t “set off” pain. Bending down to touch my toes and coming back up, felt pretty similar and really wasn’t aggravating at all.
What this did feel like was my SI joint and the ligaments around it were super tight and not allowing proper movement.
Walking my left side hip felt like it was kinda moving through mud, just hard to move fluidly
To my joy, playing pickleball actually felt like things started to loosen a bit!
I woke up the following day and also felt better than I had going to bed the night before!
So Thursday off to the gym I went, this time was to workout on my own. Over the past 6-8 months I have been adding a Low Intensity Kettle Bell workout in my routines. This is 7 swings every minute on the minute for 30 minutes. Again to many this sounds like a horrible thing to do with back pain….BUT this is the ultimate hinging movement. I know I’m completely stable and supported in my swing, in MY mind this is the BEST movement for me to do this day.
It gave my brain more input that I can move safely and not increase the threat to my system, this relaxes the nervous system and actually allows me to do more movements. Just like the day before, rowing and step ups allowed me to move a bit better through the day!
Why Movement Can Actually Help Back Pain
This is a big piece most people miss. Your body isn’t just reacting to tissues… it’s reacting to perceived threat.
When you move in a way that feels safe, you’re telling your nervous system:
“Hey… we’re okay here.”
And that’s what allows things to start loosening up.
This is how the body works! If you just lay on the couch and don’t move, things get tighter and the nervous system/brain shuts you down even more! This is why it is so important to continue to move with low back pain.
When You Should Be More Careful
Now, If you have sharp shooting pain down your legs with movement, this is an entirely different conversation and should probably go visit your favorite Athletic Trainer or Orthopedic for an evaluation. But localized pain/discomfort around Low Back and Hip, motion is lotion, it can definitely help. Would I go out for a 10 mile run? NOPE! Light low impact movements are best!
I also wouldn’t try to aggressively stretch your way out of it.
When something already feels irritated, forcing more tension into it can backfire.
Way back in physics class we learned about equal and opposite forces….this applies here.
If you stretch real hard, your body is going to contract with that same amount of force possibly causing MORE pain and dysfunction!
Gentle, controlled movement usually works better.
Also also, I wouldn’t go and start digging in at it particularly when it is in it’s acute pain phase….same equal and opposite reaction, this can just aggravate it more…gentle movement really is best!
The real question isn’t just “Should I work out with low back pain?”
It’s “What kind of movement does my body tolerate right now?”
How Do YOU Decide If You Should Work Out With Lower Back Pain?
You’re probably OK to move if:
No clear injury or incident (woke up tight, tied your shoe, brushed your teeth)
Pain is localized (low back/hip area)
It feels tight, stiff, or “off”
Movement loosens it up
Be cautious or stop if:
There was a specific injury or trauma
Pain is sharp, shooting, or radiating down the leg
Movement makes it progressively worse
You feel instability or giving out
Not Sure What Your Body Needs Right Now?
If you’re in the Redondo Beach or South Bay area…and your back pain:
keeps coming and going
feels inconsistent or confusing
or you’re not sure what movements are helping vs hurting
That’s exactly what I help people figure out.
Book your Initial Assessment here
This isn’t a quick screen.
It’s a deep dive into:
what your body is protecting
What your body is feeling
and how to get your brain and body feeling safe again
…so you can actually start moving better without second guessing every step.
If you want to learn more about my process and me, go HERE
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