Exercises to Avoid With Lower Back Pain (And What to Do Instead)
If your back hurts, the internet will hand you a list of forbidden exercises. Most of those lists are wrong — or at least far too simple.
I'm Darren Mason, a Level 3 personal trainer and Level 4 lower back pain specialist based in Droitwich. I work with people across Worcestershire who want to train without making their back worse. Here's what I've found actually matters.
"Avoid" is usually the wrong word
Very few exercises are dangerous in themselves. What causes trouble is loading a movement your body isn't currently prepared for, or doing it with a pattern that concentrates stress in one place.
A temporary modification can be useful when a movement aggravates symptoms. Longer-term decisions should reflect your symptoms, goals and any clinical advice, with a gradual return to suitable activities where possible.
So treat what follows as "these commonly cause problems, here's a better starting point" rather than "never do these again."
Five movements that often cause trouble
1. Sit-ups and crunches
Sit-ups and crunches suit some people but may aggravate symptoms for others. If they are uncomfortable, reduce the range or repetitions, or discuss an alternative. They are not automatically harmful, and no single core exercise guarantees protection from back pain.
Try instead: the dead bug. Lie on your back, arms up, knees bent at 90 degrees. Lower one arm and the opposite leg slowly, keeping your lower back flat to the floor. That last part is the whole exercise — if your back arches, you've gone too far.
2. Standing toe touches
Forward bending is a normal movement. If standing toe touches aggravate your symptoms, avoid forcing the stretch and consider a smaller, comfortable range or another movement that suits you.
Try instead: a hip hinge. Soft knees, push your hips backwards, keep your back flat, feel it in your hamstrings rather than your lower back. A hip hinge is one useful lifting option; the most suitable approach depends on the task, load and individual.
3. Heavy deadlifts before the pattern is solid
Deadlifts aren't bad for your back. Deadlifting heavy before you can reliably hinge is a different matter.
Try instead: groove the pattern with a dowel along your spine, then load it gradually — kettlebell, trap bar, barbell. Most people can build to real weight safely. It just takes longer than they'd like.
4. Weighted Russian twists
Loaded rotation while the spine is flexed is a demanding combination, and it's usually done fast, at high reps, with poor control.
Try instead: the Pallof press. Hold a resistance band out from your chest and resist the pull rather than creating movement. Anti-rotation builds the stability that actually transfers to daily life.
5. Loaded back extensions
Back extensions can be useful for some people, but the load and range need to suit the individual. If they aggravate symptoms, reduce the demand or choose a different exercise with appropriate guidance.
Try instead: bird dogs. On all fours, extend one arm and the opposite leg, hold briefly, keep your hips level. Unglamorous and genuinely effective.
What actually helps
The honest answer is less interesting than the exercise list:
Walking. Consistent, unremarkable, one of the best-supported things you can do for back pain.
Progressive loading. Getting stronger over months, not weeks.
Sleep and stress. Both change how much pain you feel from the same tissue.
Not resting completely. Extended bed rest makes most back pain worse, not better.
None of that sells supplements, which is roughly why you don't hear it as often.
When to see a doctor, not a trainer
Call 999 or go to A&E for back pain with new bladder or bowel changes, loss of sensation around the genitals or anus, symptoms in both legs such as weakness or numbness, chest pain, or pain following a serious accident. New changes in sexual sensation or function alongside back pain also need emergency assessment.
Seek an urgent GP appointment or contact NHS 111 for sudden severe pain, rapidly worsening pain, or back pain with fever or feeling generally unwell. Arrange a GP review for unexplained weight loss or pain that is not improving. Personal training cannot diagnose the cause.
Training with back pain in Worcestershire
Most people with a grumbly back don't need to stop training. They need someone to adjust the loading, fix a couple of patterns, and progress things at a sensible rate.
I hold a Level 4 qualification specifically in lower back pain management, and I work one-to-one across Droitwich, Worcester, Bromsgrove, Kidderminster and Stourport — at home, outdoors or in a gym.
If you'd like to talk it through, book a free consultation. Call or WhatsApp Darren on 07401 366 366.
This article is general information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice.
Comments