A herniated disc can put a serious damper on your fitness routine, but it doesn’t have to keep you from staying active altogether.
The key is to avoid movements that exacerbate pain or further strain your spine while focusing on restoring muscle balance and improving posture.
Let’s dive into what exercises to steer clear of and why, as well as how to support your body on the path to recovery.
ANTHROS BLOG
March 6th, 2025
Exercises to Avoid With
a Herniated Disc
A herniated disc can put a serious damper on your fitness routine, but it doesn’t have to keep you from staying active altogether.
The key is to avoid movements that exacerbate pain or further strain your spine while focusing on restoring muscle balance and improving posture.
Let’s dive into what exercises to steer clear of and why, as well as how to support your body on the path to recovery.
Why Muscle Balance and Posture Matter
When dealing with a herniated disc, maintaining muscle balance and good posture is essential.
Muscle imbalances—where one group of muscles becomes overly tight or strong while the opposing group is weak—can pull your spine out of alignment.
This misalignment puts additional stress on your discs, potentially worsening the herniation or slowing recovery.
Similarly, poor posture, whether sitting, standing, or exercising, can place undue pressure on the discs in your spine.
Learning to engage the right muscles and maintain proper alignment not only helps relieve pain but also prevents future injuries.
*Always consult a healthcare provider or physical therapist before beginning any new exercise program, especially when dealing with a spinal injury.
Exercises to Avoid
While every individual’s experience with a herniated disc is unique, some exercises are generally best avoided to protect your spine:
High-Impact Activities
- Examples: Running, jumping, or plyometric exercises.
- Why to Avoid: These movements create jarring forces that compress the spine, aggravating the herniated disc.
Heavy Weightlifting
- Examples: Deadlifts, squats with heavy weights, or overhead presses.
- Why to Avoid: These exercises can place excessive strain on your spine, especially if your core muscles aren’t strong enough to stabilize properly.
Twisting Movements
- Examples: Russian twists, golf swings, or certain yoga poses like spinal twists.
- Why to Avoid: Twisting can worsen the herniation by putting uneven pressure on the discs.
Forward Flexion Exercises
- Examples: Sit-ups, toe touches, or any movement where you round your back forward.
- Why to Avoid: Bending forward increases pressure on the front of the disc, pushing it further out of place.
Prolonged Static Positions
- Examples: Holding a plank for too long or standing still without engaging your core.
- Why to Avoid: Staying in one position without proper muscle engagement can cause stiffness and exacerbate pain.
What to Do Instead
Now that we know what to avoid, let’s talk about some safe and effective alternatives:
Core Stabilization Exercises
Try: Bird dogs, pelvic tilts, or modified planks.
Why They Help: These exercises strengthen the deep core muscles that support your spine without putting undue pressure on your discs.
- Try: Bird dogs, pelvic tilts, or modified planks.
- Why They Help: These exercises strengthen the deep core muscles that support your spine without putting undue pressure on your discs.
Gentle Stretching
Try: Cat-cow stretches, child’s pose, or hamstring stretches.
Why They Help: Stretching helps relieve tension in tight muscles and improves flexibility around your spine.
- Try: Cat-cow stretches, child’s pose, or hamstring stretches.
- Why They Help: Stretching helps relieve tension in tight muscles and improves flexibility around your spine.
Low-Impact Cardio
Try: Walking, swimming, or using an elliptical machine
Why They Help: Low-impact activities promote circulation and healing without jarring your spine.
- Try: Walking, swimming, or using an elliptical machine
- Why They Help: Low-impact activities promote circulation and healing without jarring your spine.
Posture Training
Try: Practicing seated and standing alignment, using a posture trainer, or working with a physical therapist. Use a chair with pelvis support to encourage spinal alignment.
Why It Helps: Learning to hold your body in proper alignment reduces stress on the herniated disc and helps distribute pressure evenly.
- Try: Practicing seated and standing alignment, using a posture trainer, or working with a physical therapist. Use a chair with pelvis support to encourage spinal alignment.
- Why It Helps: Learning to hold your body in proper alignment reduces stress on the herniated disc and helps distribute pressure evenly.
When sitting: Use a chair that supports the foundation of posture, the pelvis. Supporting the pelvis in a neutral position brings the spine into alignment and decreases disc pressure.
For those who sit all day, this is key to achieve and maintain muscle balance and relieve symptoms of a herniated disc when sitting.
When standing: Distribute your weight evenly on both feet and keep your shoulders relaxed and rolled back.
Imagine there’s a string that goes from your feet up through your head and it’s being pulled straight up.
This encourages a neutral pelvis and lengthened spine.
When bending: During daily activities that require reaching or bending, hinge at the hips with a flat back.
Engage your glutes and hamstrings during the bend/reach to protect your low back.
When lifting: Bend at the knees, not the waist. Keep your back straight, hinge at the hips and hold objects close to your body.
Why Muscle Balance and Posture Matter
If you’re managing a herniated disc, remember to listen to your body and prioritize movements that feel good and supportive.
Always consult a healthcare provider or physical therapist before beginning any new exercise program, especially when dealing with a spinal injury.
Recovery from a herniated disc takes patience, but with the right approach—including avoiding harmful exercises and focusing on posture and muscle balance—you can work toward a stronger, healthier spine. You’ve got this!
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