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Can I keep exercising with back pain?

Person outside exercising with back pain

Your carefully honed training plan doesn’t necessarily work once back pain enters the picture. If you push through, are you maintaining your fitness or aggravating an injury? Should you carry on as usual or pull back a little?

If back pain is affecting your training or stopping you from doing the activities you normally enjoy, we can assess what is happening and help you plan your next steps.

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Do I need to stop exercising when my back hurts?

Not necessarily. Reducing load, changing exercise selection or modifying your routine for a period may be enough while you work out what your back can tolerate.
In fact, maintaining some regular movement is generally helpful for non-specific back pain. Walking or swimming may be more manageable than higher-load exercise while your back is irritated.

The key is to adjust, rather than push through regardless. A deadlift places very different demands on your back than walking or swimming, so it’s worth reviewing:

  • Load
  • Frequency
  • Intensity
  • Range of movement

How do I know if I should modify my training? Is some pain okay?

Start by noticing the pattern. Perhaps your back feels comfortable during a session but becomes increasingly painful over the following hours. Another movement may make you wince every time you perform it. You might also find that your normal exercise technique changes because you are protecting the painful area.

You could modify your exercise by changing:

  • Load
  • Frequency
  • Intensity
  • Range of movement.

It’s not always easy to tell whether pain during exercise is a normal response or a sign you’re aggravating your back, especially if symptoms seem to be getting progressively worse rather than settling. That’s where a physiotherapy assessment is helpful. It’s an opportunity for a skilled professional to examine your back and advise you on how best to continue exercising.

If you’ve already adapted your training but your back pain keeps returning, please book a back pain physiotherapy appointment.

Exercising with back pain, book an appointment to find out more

What exercise is good for back pain?

There’s no single exercise program that suits everyone with back pain, as it depends on the nature of your injury, your overall fitness and your goals. Someone working back towards heavy strength training has very different physical demands to someone who just wants to get through a workday comfortably. Your exercise plan needs to match what you actually need your back to do.

For lower back pain, try starting with gentler activities like floor stretches, walking, swimming or walking in the pool, then build up from there.

 

Looking for specific exercises to try?

Read our guide to exercises for lower back pain.

 

When should I get back pain checked?

If back pain keeps interrupting your exercise despite reducing or changing your activity, it’s worth getting assessed. The same applies if pain is severe, worsening, or affecting your sleep and daily life.

 

Call Triple Zero (000) if back pain is accompanied by
loss of sensation or movement in your limbs,
or problems controlling your bladder or bowels.

 

Get a clearer plan for exercising with back pain

If you’re stuck in a cycle of resting until your back settles, only for the pain to return as soon as you’re active again, it’s time to find out what’s actually driving the problem.

The Brisbane Spine Clinic provides physiotherapy for back pain in Eight Mile Plains, North Lakes and Daisy Hill. Your physiotherapist can assess your symptoms, movement and exercise demands, then advise how your activity may need to be modified so you can maintain your fitness without aggravating your back.

Book an appointment with The Brisbane Spine Clinic

 

Disclaimer

All information is general and not intended as a substitute for professional advice.

References [Accessed 11 August 2026]