Low Impact Exercises are very important for elderly people and rehabilitating patients

Gaining your healthy strength back through low impact exercises is very important for both rehabilitation and reinforcing your lower back. People who regularly undergo exercises will have fewer episodes of low back pain, and will experience less pain when backpain re-occurs. Patients with better physical conditions are more likely to function normally (meaning they can continue their work and with recreational activities as well), But those people having chronic pains in the lower back choosing not to low-impact exercise are almost sure to undergo gradual decline of functional capabilities.

The exercises should be non-stop so the heart rate is increases and stays higher. In addition, it is proven that half an hour of low impact exercising has the additional plus of raising your endorphin levels. These are pain reducing substances made by the body (High endorphin levels probably create the famous "runner’s high" which often happens while exercising). 

Types of exercises with a low impact

There are several genres of aerobic exercises that are both easy on the spine and, when performed on a regular basis, very effective to improve the condition of the body.

Walking as an exercise with a low impact. As a rule of thumb, exercise walking is very easy on your back, and walking a few miles a few times per week is highly useful for most people.

Stationary cycling as a way to exercise with low impact. If walking is not possible, stationary bicycling is also very good and may be less stressful for your back.

Water therapy as a means of exercise with low impact. Performing exercises in the water improves your condition highly effectively. While lowering stress on the back as much as possible. (see also the next paragraph on Water Therapy).

Water therapy for back exercise

Starting with exercises with a low impact in the water has the added benefit of relieving the spine from it's bodyweight, which allows for more mobility with lower pain levels for the patient. As the patient's condition improves through the water therapy, exercises with low impact on land could be considered.

Low impact aquatic therapy exercises are particularly beneficial for those patients for whom land exercises acause too much pain or for elderly patients. For those people who suffer from osteoarthritis, especially for older patients, continuing with low impact aquatic exercises as therapy may be most suited.