{"id":9346,"date":"2026-04-02T20:24:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T18:24:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/2190pilates.gr\/%cf%80%ce%bf%ce%bd%ce%ac%ce%b5%ce%b9-%ce%b7-%ce%bc%ce%ad%cf%83%ce%b7-%ce%bc%ce%bf%cf%85-%ce%bc%cf%80%ce%bf%cf%81%cf%8e-%ce%bd%ce%b1-%ce%ba%ce%ac%ce%bd%cf%89-%ce%ac%cf%83%ce%ba%ce%b7%cf%83%ce%b7\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T11:32:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T09:32:21","slug":"my-lower-back-hurts-can-i-exercise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/2190pilates.gr\/en\/my-lower-back-hurts-can-i-exercise\/","title":{"rendered":"My lower back hurts. Can I exercise?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Why back pain doesn\u2019t always mean you should stop<\/strong><\/p>

Anna Maria Vamvakidou | Pilates Instructor & Movement Specialist<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

What I See in Practice<\/strong><\/p>

Low back pain is something I encounter very frequently in my work with people. Some already have a diagnosis, others don\u2019t. Some are afraid to move, while others try to continue as usual without knowing whether what they\u2019re doing is helping or making things worse.<\/p>

And almost always, the same question comes up:
Should I stop or continue?<\/strong><\/p>

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Pain Does Not Always Mean Stop<\/strong><\/p>

The first reaction to pain is usually avoidance. To stop exercising, to limit movement, to protect ourselves. In some cases, this is necessary, especially during an acute phase.<\/p>

However, in most cases, complete avoidance doesn\u2019t help. The body is not designed for inactivity. When it doesn\u2019t move, it gradually loses strength, stability, and its ability to manage load.<\/p>

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The Role of Movement<\/strong><\/p>

Well-structured movement can be part of the solution. It\u2019s not only about reducing pain, but also about restoring function. It helps the body regain control, distribute load more efficiently, and move with greater safety.<\/p>

The question is not whether you should move.
It\u2019s\u00a0how<\/strong>\u00a0you should move.<\/p>

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Can You Train With Pain?<\/strong><\/p>

In many cases, you can continue training even when pain is present. However, this requires a different approach.<\/p>

The issue is not the weight or the exercise itself. It\u2019s how they are used. When pain is present, training should emphasize control, stability, and proper load distribution. It\u2019s not just about strength, it\u2019s about the quality of movement.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Stability Before Load<\/strong><\/p>

One of the most important elements is stability. When the core does not function effectively, the body finds alternative ways to perform movement. It creates compensations and shifts stress to areas that are not able to handle it properly.<\/p>

This is often where pain persists. Improving stability does not mean avoiding load. It means managing it more effectively.<\/p>

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Coaching Matters<\/strong><\/p>

The same exercise can be either beneficial or harmful, depending on how it is performed. Guidance plays a crucial role.<\/p>

A trainer needs to adapt the exercise to the individual, adjust the load, and provide cues that promote control, not intensity without direction. It\u2019s not about what you do, but how you do it.<\/p>

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From Avoidance to Exposure<\/strong><\/p>

For many years, pain management was largely based on avoidance. Today, we know that gradual and controlled exposure to movement is often more effective.<\/p>

This means the body needs to be retrained through small, controlled stimuli, with proper technique and progressive loading.<\/p>

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What Actually Helps<\/strong><\/p>

What truly helps is neither complete rest nor blindly continuing training. It\u2019s adaptation.<\/p>

The ability to understand what the body needs at each stage and to work on it with precision.<\/p>

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The Key Principle<\/strong><\/p>

If this had to be summarized in one sentence, it would be this:
Pain does not mean you should stop<\/strong>, it means you need to change the way you move.<\/strong><\/p>

Final Thought<\/strong><\/p>

Low back pain is not necessarily a reason to stop exercising. It is a reason for better understanding, a more targeted approach, and proper guidance.<\/p>

Because very often, movement, when done correctly, can be part of the solution, not the problem.<\/p>

If you\u2019d like to explore how to approach this safely and with direction, we can work on it together.<\/p>


References<\/strong><\/p>

The above insights are grounded in current research on movement, load management, and the role of exercise in low back pain.<\/em><\/p>

  • World Health Organization\u00a0(2020).\u00a0Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour<\/em><\/li>
  • National Institute for Health and Care Excellence\u00a0(2020).\u00a0Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s: assessment and management<\/em><\/li>
  • American College of Sports Medicine\u00a0(2021).\u00a0Exercise management in musculoskeletal conditions<\/em><\/li>
  • McGill, S. (2016).\u00a0Back Mechanic<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Why back pain doesn\u2019t always mean you should stop Anna Maria Vamvakidou | Pilates Instructor & Movement Specialist \u00a0 What I See in Practice Low back pain is something I encounter very frequently in my work with people. Some already have a diagnosis, others don\u2019t. Some are afraid to move, while others try to continue […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9281,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[89],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/2190pilates.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/2190pilates.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/2190pilates.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2190pilates.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2190pilates.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9346"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/2190pilates.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9346\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9369,"href":"https:\/\/2190pilates.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9346\/revisions\/9369"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2190pilates.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/2190pilates.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2190pilates.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2190pilates.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}