Health Related Fitness - Why Improving your Fitness can Help you Manage Lower Back Pain

Often when I talk to people about improving their health related fitness to help with lower back pain they look at me in horror. This is because they think I mean they should be good at a certain type of sport or that I'm asking them to become 'sporty'. Many people are really not interested in sport and view any exercise as a really unpleasant activity. I commonly meet people who have never exercised and consider a short walk to the shops sufficient exercise for them.

Another common complaint I hear is that 'I don't need to exercise, I'm already running around all the time at work or after the children etc'. If you have a job that involves being very active this may be true for you. However, if like most of us you spend most of your day in activities that are sedentary like sitting or standing still, then you need a rethink.

The World Heath Organisation suggests exercising (cardiovascular exercise that raises your heart rate slightly and increases your breathing rate a little) for thirty minutes five times a week. The thirty minutes can be spread out, it doesn't have to be all at once, so that makes it a lot easier. Take a moment to decide if you are managing this amount of exercise in a normal week.

Exercise doesn't have to be a major chore. There are many ways to exercise that don’t involve using a gym or joining a sports team.  Personally, I dislike gyms, I find them boring, swimming doesn't suit me either. However, I have solved my exercise problem by cycling to work with some nice leisure rides at weekends. I also enjoy walking too, so I get out for a half hour brisk walk a couple of times a week. Each one of us is different and I would encourage you to think differently about your health related fitness with a fresh outlook. What can you do that would easily fit into your dally routine and wouldn't be a chore?

This hub section should point you in the direction of information on why you should exercise and how to go about doing it.

	Firstly, have a look at this section which explains why health related fitness is important in the management of lower back pain.
	Walking for fitness has to be one of the easiest ways possible to increase your general physical fitness levels.
	If you want to tips and useful advice on starting exercise if you have lower back pain then my e-book Back Pain Action Guide might interest you.

Lower Back Pain Toolkit Home Page

24-Sep-2012