Strengthen your core

Strong abs, glutes, and lats—which together make up your core—will help to protect the spine. “Strengthening the muscles that surround and protect the spine shift the compressive and strain forces away from the spine itself,” Coffman explains. She recommends trying a bridge pose: Lying on your back, push with your legs and abs to bring your body into an arch, or a bridge formation, with the knees bent and abs engaged. Hold this position for 3 to 5 seconds, repeating 10 to 20 times. Another good ab exercise for a stiff back is the reverse abdominal curl. Lie on your back with your abs engaged, then pull both knees together toward the chest and lower them back down, maintaining abdominal activation throughout. “None of the exercises should be painful during or after,” Coffman cautions. If anything hurts, use a smaller range of motion. Here’s how to build your core without crunches.