New Year, New You: How to Safely Start Exercising with Chronic Back Pain

There’s a reason some versions of “exercise more” or “get fit” end up on so many New Year’s resolution lists. Regular exercise boosts your energy, lifts your mood, helps manage weight, and lowers the risk of chronic diseases. Moving your body is one of the best things you can do for your long-term health.

If you have chronic back pain, this goal can seem unrealistic. You may be worried about making the pain worse or delaying your recovery. Some people try to push through the pain, believing that discomfort is part of getting fit. But pushing through back pain often makes the problem worse.

Dealing with chronic back pain doesn’t mean you have to avoid exercise. It means you need to exercise the right way. With guidance from a pain management specialist, you can stay active, protect your spine, and work toward your fitness goals safely.

At SEPA Pain & Spine in southeastern Pennsylvania, our team specializes in helping patients with chronic back pain do exactly that.

In this blog, we share our best tips to help you get moving again.

Why exercise is important when you have chronic back pain

Many people with chronic back pain become less active. It feels safer to avoid movement, especially if exercising has caused flare-ups in the past. While taking breaks from exercising can be helpful when dealing with acute pain, staying inactive for too long often makes things worse.

Without regular movement, the muscles that support your spine weaken, and your joints become stiff and less flexible. Over time, simple activities like walking, standing, or bending can start to hurt more, triggering a cycle where pain leads to inactivity, and inactivity leads to more pain.

Exercise, when done correctly, is crucial for managing chronic back pain. Gentle, consistent movement improves blood flow, which helps the muscles and tissues supporting your back heal and function better. It strengthens your muscles, improves joint mobility, and supports better posture.

Regular activity also improves your flexibility and balance, reducing the likelihood of sudden strains or injuries. Beyond the physical benefits, exercise reduces stress and tension, which often worsen chronic pain.

Understanding your back pain before you exercise

Chronic back pain is not a single condition. It can be the result of:

Disc issues
Arthritis
Nerve compression
Muscle imbalances
Old injuries
A combination of factors

The source of your pain affects which exercises are helpful and which ones could make things worse.

Before jumping into an exercise routine, you need to understand what’s causing your back pain.

At SEPA Pain & Spine, we can evaluate your spine, movement patterns, and medical history to identify what’s going on. Once we know the root of your pain, we recommend exercises tailored to your needs and limitations, ensuring your workouts are safe and effective.

How to start exercising safely with chronic back pain

When you have chronic back pain, start slowly and move carefully. Some people make the mistake of doing too much too quickly, especially at the beginning of the year.

Aim for gentle, controlled movements that focus on improving your mobility, stability, and strength, rather than high-impact or high-intensity workouts.

Low-impact exercises like walking, stretching, and targeted core workouts are usually better tolerated by people with back pain. Gentle movement helps you build strength and flexibility without putting too much stress on your spine.

A new year often comes with pressure to transform quickly, but lasting change comes from thoughtful, sustainable choices.

If chronic back pain has made exercise feel impossible, it doesn’t mean you have failed or that your goals are unrealistic. It means you need the right support, which you can get at SEPA Pain & Spine.

Call us today to schedule a consultation at any of our offices in Horsham, Langhorne, Meadowbrook, Chalfont, East Norriton, or Limerick in southeastern Pennsylvania. You can also request one online here.