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What kind of exercise is best for a bad back? Everyone tells me to stay active and exercise. They say that's the best medicine. But what does that really mean?

Good question and one we don't have an exact answer for yet. What we can tell you is that whenever exercise is used to treat chronic back pain, the results show improvement. Pain is less, function is better, and the patients report less disability.

Other benefits show up too. Patients go to the doctor less often. They miss fewer days of work. They return to work sooner or they go back to work after being off because of their back problems.

There are different types of exercise. There's resistance training to help increase your muscle bulk and muscle strength. There's endurance training to help increase your stamina and staying power. You can go longer with less fatigue.

And there's aerobic exercise, which is actually a way to train one specific muscle and that's your heart. Of course, improving the function of your heart also improves circulation and overall health and fitness.

Then there are specific exercises designed for the specific problem. This is usually prescribed and administered by a physical therapist. It could include stretching to promote flexibility or core exercises to stabilize the spine. Postural exercises and range of motion are also tools the therapist uses.

Many other forms of exercise have been tested and proven effective such as tai chi, yoga, swimming, biking, and walking. The best advice is to get started with some form of exercise. See what works best for you. Try to vary what you do so that you get several sessions of each kind every week.

If engaging in a general exercise program doesn't net the improvements you are looking for, then see a physical therapist. Keep track of what you are doing in a journal so you can see what you have been doing and the results over time.

It may take weeks to months to get a consistent program going and then to evaluate the results. Take your time and stick with it. Consistency is one of the most important factors. Consistent, regular (daily if possible) exercise shows up over and over in studies of exercise as the key to success.

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