sknhgy 

What do you do for your back to keep it in shape? I haven't had any major issues but sometimes I notice a little tenderness. Just turned 60 this year and I want to keep things functioning. So, what do you do or not do?
About the only thing that does bother my back is a recliner chair.

tg16

I include the back extension machine in my workouts and stretch.

Carbonfiberboy 

First thing to do is get a copy of Core Advantage. 2nd thing is to make use of it. Set up a program starting at the beginning, 3 workouts/week, and ending in a year. Then start going to the gym. Let's see, what back specific stuff have I been doing lately . . . squats, horizontal rows, lat pulldowns, seated dumbbell presses, back extension machine . . . really hard climbing on a road bike is good for your back, too. Keep your back straight when climbing - well, all the time.

NealH

I do the 7 or 8 exercises my PT gave me when I was having lower back issues, which I still have (degeneration & arthritis, but no herniations or bulging discs). It takes about 20 to 25 minutes and I do them in the morning, 5 or 6 days a week. I almost always do them on days before riding, and sometimes on days that I swim. These exercises do loosen up my back and it definitely makes it feel better, and I am sure they have helped my flexibility as I can get in the drops much better - and longer - than before. They are not going to heal degeneration and/or arthritis, but they help the blood flow and stretches the muscles to loosen them up. These exercises probably strengthen the muscles in and around the back to a point. Here is a link which has most of the movements. You can google the internet for back exercises and most returned pages will feature similar movements. Other than occasional gout and kidney stones, I'm in pretty good health and feel good. I can hang with the faster groups too.

Back Pain Exercises with pictures | BigBackPain.com

GravelMN

+1 on core exercises being the foundation of athletic performance and the best way to prevent back problems. Remember that the core is not just your abs, but all the muscles from your pelvis to your rib cage. You want a variety of exercises to keep them all strong and flexible. I personally like some yoga and Pilates exercises mixed in with resistance (weight/machine/band/bodyweight) exercises.

TCR Rider

I do a back routine a few times a week.I have a DVD set, The Encyclopedia of Joint Mobility by Steve Maxwell that has different workouts focusing on specific areas of the body. Mostly body weight exercises that work on strength and flexibility at the same time. His section on the back really works for me.
I also do core exercises almost every day and yoga once a week. I do some Kettlebell work but that's really the extent of a weight workout. I stretch, Active Isolated stretching,after every ride.
Every now and then I go to the chiropractor to get things straightened out.

downtube42

Avoid the recliner, it's also bad for your cardiovascular system

I'd say getting to 60 without any significant back problems suggests you're already doing something right - better than most people, in fact. Core strength is good, flexibility is good, active lifestyle is good. I would not recommend any drastic changes, given your success to date.

Artkansas 

It used to be that when I bent over, I could hear my vertebra clattering. Since I began sleeping on a yoga mat on the floor, I feel better and my back is quiet. I think its that my back is held straight and aligned all night.

TiHabanero

Yoga Yoga Yoga It has cured all of the back issues I have dealt with since age 28, and now that my wife is doing yoga, here back issues have gone away... Yoga Yoga Yoga Yoga Yoga Yoga,,, you get the idea.

Gerryattrick

I suffered from a very painful lower back years ago so took up Pilates as a friend said it worked for her. I did it regularly for about 4 years and had very few problems with my back.

I then, being lazy, gave it up. Now I have started to have back pain again so I think it's back to Pilates for me. I believe Yoga would be just as effective.

curlyque

People who hold their stomachs in and stand tall are far less likely to have back issues..... relates to having a strong core.

Stretching is for cats :-)

MikeD1

This^^^^ I've had back issues and pain for over 40 years. Started Yoga last August and my back is 95%+ pain free. To be fair, I've also increased my swimming and general core and stretching routines . . . but two one hour Yoga classes a week are just fantastic for me. I plan to add a third at some point.

Lou Skannon

I think a soft and over-used mattress caused all my back problems. Cycle touring and sleeping on an inch-thick Therm-a-rest sleep pad sorted it out.

Road Fan

Same here - Iyengar yoga for the past four years.

woodcraft

Keeping core reasonably strong, etc.

One of my favorites is laying back on large exercise ball. This is passive- takes only stabilizing muscles, & intensity is governed by how far you roll back. Helps to balance out the too-much-sittingitis that many of us suffer from.

Also taking a breath & relaxing before & after each heavy lift- especially if it is something awkward. Along with planning (knowing where you will put down the load, having a bail out plan), this helps to avoid overload & strain that are common triggers of back trauma.

gmm213

I wear a back brace almost constantly. I have lower back problems and it helps a lot. I did PT on and off since I was about 13 or 14 but Its hard with life to go regularly. I have thought about yoga, heard its supposed to help. just came from the doc today. L5-S1 are starting to go, arthritis, as well as lower muscle spasms. Just puts me in discomfort but it could be a problem down the road seeing as Im only 26

B. Carfree

Lower back issues started at age 14, ended at age 19 when I began doing yoga regularly (much more than regularly for a few years). Do the strength exercises others have noted, but it's also important to maintain/develop flexibility. Also, just focus on the postures and process (go to discomfort, stay in control) and ignore all the woo woo that has become the norm of yoga in the US over the past decade or so. Also, if you end up in a Bikram program, beware anything that puts your knees or hips in odd positions; his program isn't ready for prime time for athletic folks.

Zinger

I'm going back to putting a piece of thin plywood under my mattress to firm it up a bit. I've noticed a little pain creeping in after a few hours without it that definitely points to sagging.

Looigi

Core exercises, and spending time on the trainer/spin-bike in a really low TT-like position, with my knees just about hitting my chest.

sknhgy 

I should go for flexibility. Do I need a yoga class or can I get a book/video? I took some classes back in the day so I already know about the breathing and some of the basics.

TCR Rider

I have The Athlete's Guide to Yoga by Sage Roundtree. It has a lot of poses that really address the riding/running muscles. After I read the book I picked up the DVD of the same name. You can follow routines that are already set up or use the option that allows you to create your own routine. There are three people doing the poses at different degrees of difficulity.
I set up my own routine and do it at home which is probably best since my version of yoga is not exactly a thing of beauty. Oh well can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

https://www.amazon.com/Athletes-Guide...+guide+to+yoga

osco53

Core yeah,,
Proper Hydration 24/7 double yeah

Join the Thousand a week club,,, Entry fee is free, but the pain is Intense..

,,,,,The Thousand a week club,, thats 1,000 crunches a week..
No I'm not there yet but I'm half way there

many of us have no balance, a strong back will break without a strong front to balance things out

mercator

A short yoga routine for cyclists with lower back pain

climberguy

Lumbar surgery twice in the last 18 months. I figure that should keep the lower back quiet for a while.

TiHabanero

There is a book called Back Rx, and it addresses core strength and stretching using some positions from yoga. This is where I started and now do mostly yoga, basic, simple, no named yoga. The stuff works. One other thing, sleeping on a soft mattress will cause trouble after about 2 weeks, so I avoid them. The government run TV station that is linked to NPR radio has a yoga instructor on every morning bright and early. Her poses are more extreme and generally for an advanced practitioner, however with some common sense you can modify the stretch to your level of fitness.