Fulfilling Your Exercise Resolution This Year

December 31, 2010
By: Stephanie Burke

Probably one of the most made resolutions, and toughest to fulfill, is the one 'to exercise'. For back pain sufferers, exercise is crucial to easing chronic pain symptoms and preventing future pain and back problems. Most of us don’t make all of our resolutions a reality each year, so here are some tips for really making 'to exercise' a part of your life this year.

Starting an Exercise Program

One of the most difficult things about exercise is just getting started. It's easy to come up with reasons to put exercise off for just another few weeks, but your back will thank you if you just do it. Here are a few tips to get going:

• Consult with a Physical Therapist or Personal Trainer

  Often, a person wants to start exercising, but just doesn't know how to begin. For example, going to a gym for the first time can be somewhat intimidating if you don't know your way around all the machines and weights. A trainer or physical therapist can get you comfortable with the various apparatuses. More importantly, they can help to design an exercise program that is right for your unique situation (including any back problems) and demonstrate proper techniques. Learn more in Specific Low Back Pain Exercises.

• Start with Low Impact Aerobic Exercise

  For many people looking to start an exercise program, not only are their muscles out of shape, but their cardiovascular systems are as well. This can leave them particularly prone to frustration (or intimidation) when they become easily winded from just a few minutes of brisk exercise. These individuals, as well as many with back problems, are better off starting out with low impact aerobic exercise (read 'not running') that creates less jarring on the joints. Equipment like an exercise bike or exercise ball gives a good workout with low stress. Techniques that require some initial training but that can provide excellent results, including relaxation, for many patients with back problems include yoga and water therapy. Learn more in How Yoga Helps the Back, Water-Based Therapy for Exercise, and Low Impact Aerobic Exercise.

• Learn Simple Exercises That You Can Do Anywhere

  When starting to exercise, it's easy to get thrown off by schedule changes and use them as an excuse to not start and/or stop exercising. Getting busy at work, going out of town, holidays, extreme weather -- these all can cause disruptions in a new exercise routine. Patients should have some simple exercises in their fitness toolkit that can weather these disruptions and allow some amount of exercise to continue. Exercise walking only requires a good pair of walking shoes and some basic knowledge of good walking technique; otherwise, outdoor pavement or a treadmill is all that is needed. See Exercise Walking for Better Back Health.

  When going to a gym or accessing exercise equipment is totally out of the question, it's good to know some simple, yet effective, exercises that can be performed anywhere. An easy-to-do exercise program might include warm up, simple stretching exercises (e.g., for the piriformis and hamstring muscles), strengthening exercises (including abdominal and gluteal exercises), and cool down exercises (such as walking and gentle stretching). Learn more in Easy Exercise Program for Low Back Pain Relief.

Sticking to an Exercise Program

To get true benefit from all your hard work and exercise, exercise must be performed on a regular basis. That usually means some form of activity for at least 30 minutes a day, three to four times per week. Here are some tips for staying with it:

• Make Exercise Part of Your Normal Routine

  Design an exercise regimen that fits with your unique lifestyle. If you need external motivation, work out with a friend or join a class. If you have kids, join a fitness club that offers childcare; some even have exercise programs for the kids. If you aren't a morning person, don't plan to exercise before work at 6:00am. The key is finding what exercise program works for you. See more tips in Specific Exercise Strategies.

• Use Exercise Goals for Motivation

  When you feel a slump coming on, it can be helpful to remind yourself why you started exercising in the first place. There are no right or wrong exercise goals, but often they include one or more of the following:

• To lose weight. Overweight individuals often are at greater risk for back pain, joint pain and muscle strain than those who are not. Weight loss is usually best achieved through a combination of exercise and diet. Learn more in Weight Loss for Back Pain Relief.
• To tone your body. Not only does a toned body look better (and boost self-confidence), it has true therapeutic benefits for back pain patients. In particular, strong stomach and back muscles are important to reduce the likelihood of back pain episodes and to protect against future injury by helping the body respond efficiently to stresses on the spine. Read more in The Importance of Abdominal Exercise and Back Exercise.
• To simply reduce back pain. For people with back problems, the above two benefits of exercise may be motivating, but the greatest motivator of all may be pain relief. Lack of exercise can worsen back pain by contributing to stiffness, weakness and de-conditioning of spinal discs, muscles, ligaments and joints. Movement distributes needed nutrients into the disc space and soft tissues -- so get moving! Read more in Exercise for Back Pain.

For many patients with low back pain, it is usually advisable to first consult a physician who can diagnose the patient's condition and rule out any serious contraindications, such as a fracture or tumor, for certain types of exercise.