Weight training with low back pain? Beginner's questions.

[PandoraRocks]

I suffer on and off with low back pain and am generally unfit and overweight - BMI 29. I've had SI joint inflammation in the past. My osteopath has suggested Pilates to strengthen my weak core muscles but I would like to try weight training to lose weight and get fit.

I looked at a Youtube video - Full body workout for women over 50 - but honestly, the crunches and deadlift can't be good for your back?
Also, I wonder what size dumbbells you'd start with? To me, 2kg seems heavy 😂

Could you get to a gym? Also has shout back been checked out by a doctor?

If you’re going to be lifting heavy you absolutely have to go to a gym and get started with a qualified professional.

I’ve been seeing a PT for a couple of years. I had long standing back jiggles. After I started with him they got SO much worse. I saw physio etc to help with no joy. The deadlifts always worried me. My back got better on its own after an extended holiday to a hot place. I refuse to do deadlifts and my PT knows this. The other thing that kills my back is the rowing machine. So I don’t do that either. I’ve been back pain free for 2 years now. Im an nhs worker so have done the manual handling training many times. A deadlift always seems to be the opposite of all the nhs training on lifting.

Listen to your osteopath. They know what they're talking about. Start with pilates, then if you'd like to lift, start that when you've built up some good core strength. Don't be fooled by the 'gentle" look if pilates, it makes you strong! And also uses weights and other small bits of equipment depending on your instructor. Also as aside, good diet will be your best bet for losing weight.

I wouldn't start with weights. They should be introduced once you have gained some muscle. A lot of exercises use your own body weight for example sit ups, squats, reverse crunches. I would start with those type of exercises to help tone up. To lose weight you really need cardio so running would be the best way, start off slow with a couch to 5 km. Or start with walking if runnings too hard. You will ache after any new exercise as you'll be using muscles you don't usually use a d in a more intense way. About 3 years ago I started running and no matter how much I warmed up I ached for about 3 months, then suddenly my body was used to it and it became such a joy to run and feel those endorphins!

If you want to do weight training there's no reason not to. Do the thing that interests you as then you'll keep doing it.

If you've got back problems though I wouldn't jump into videos without getting some help on how to lift weights. Getting strong will help with other body problems. Can you access a PT?

I do a mobility programme alongside strength training to help my body adjust and respond. I also see an osteopath and they're all for strength training as being part of the solution.

There's masses of stuff out there about back issues and lifting, and the answer is not 'don't lift'. Unless you don't want to of course. But if you do there's no reason to avoid it any more than anything else.

Start with Pilates if that's the advice - build up the strength so that you can start weight training without injury

And weight training doesn't really lead to weight loss - that's diet

To lose weight you really need cardio so running would be the best way, start off slow with a couch to 5 km

No you actually don’t need cardio to lose weight. You lose weight by improving your diet.

Your body adjusts to doing one type of exercise such as running so that eventually it adjusts to expend fewer calories as you get fitter.

And you can use weight lifting to lose weight. But only with control of your calorie intake.

It can depend on your metabolism and what you enjoy and like doing. I love lifting really heavy and that, plus metcon, plus paying attention to my diet is what works for me. Running 5k three times a week won’t really be the critical aspect of losing weight.

I also just love being strong. AF. And I can run faster too.

And with lower back issues and being overweight runnings probably not the best thing to start with. Pilates and body weight strength work plus proper eating is much healthier for you. Running can play havoc with your joints if you’re overweight.

Walking - now that would be excellent! Build up to 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day.

Lower back pain is often about weak glutes. Pilates will be perfect. I'd also look at doing some careful stretching - face down like for a push up, one leg straight, other bent with knee out, then lower yourself until you really feel the stretch in your glutes. A stepper/stairmaster type machine can also be really useful provided you're actually upright on it. Leg press is also great for lower back if you've got the angles right, get an instructor to show you.

I do quite serious bodyweight training (an alternative to lifting weights - pull ups, push ups etc) and Pilates is a good place to start, if you have a good teacher. You will strengthen not only your core but most of your major muscle groups and learn good form for many exercises that will help you if you add in strength training. If you have back issues, I definitely would not lift weight without professional help, given you are a beginner.

I have lower back pain but wanted to lose weight. So, I hired a personal trainer at a posh gym, who set me an exercise program with quite a lot of weight training. She said this would be great for weight loss and fine for my back.

I did the exercises properly, but it turns out my back problem was a spine hernia, and the weight training made it so much worse: I now have permanent spine damage and have been through insane pain.

Please don’t weight train if you have back problems and don’t assume that ‘experts’ know anything much.

I would definately do pilates for at least 6 months before weight training. It teaches you pelvic and core stability, working all the small muscles and ligaments around this region. It is the best exercise for back pain. I would not do weight lifting as a beginner with SI injury, even with a PT. I say this as someone who suffered chronic back injury. Pilates is brilliant. And you can increase muscle tone, my obliques etc look really toned from pilates.

Pilates and swimming for 6 months first. I do body pump 2-3 times a week, I avoid certain reps and do alternatives, because I used to suffer with lower back pain. I am seriously strong and my posture has changed (for the better), so I don’t suffer with back pain anymore. You need a strong core though, and you achieve that by doing Pilates and swimming.

Ia gree that doing bodyweight training is a great way to get started.

Also the NHS has a miracle 30 minute pilates workout online for bad backs. Before Christmas I could hardly move with lower back pain. Did the workout 3-4 times and it was almost gone. The horribel crunching noise also disappeared when I did twisting moves.

I'm overweight at the moment - BMI 27.1 and do lots of weight training, so it can be done. With deadlifts, you just have to be really careful you are just folding from the hips, not bending your back, then pushing forward from the hips to raise your body, again, not straining back at all. Use a very light weight (2kg ) to get the hang of the move.

Google Professor Stuart McGill. He is the worlds leading spine researcher and has worked with the White House and elite level athletes. His book called Back Mechanic is written for laypeople (and is quite affordable) and his website backfitpro.com also has a lot of information. I have found physiotherapists to be very hit and miss as back pain is a very specialised area so many physios make you worse. Only consider the most knowledgable physios. Prof Stuart McGill has his famous ‘Big 3’ core exercises. I have no affiliation with Prof McGill but his approach helped me get better. He has also trained a number of clinicians which there is a list of on his website. Hope that helps! Feel free to reach out as i have spent a few yrs extensively researching back issues and healing mine fully.