Will Cycling help with lower back strength?

[brumby33]

Yep - I have 30 years experience looking after my back & know what works for me, but no idea if that’s what best for you

Any exercise that doesn’t aggravate my back always helps, whether that’s cycling swimming, walking or whatever

Find_bruce, Yeah I think swimming is a good exercise for back muscles and I'm happy you mentioned it and it's something I intend to look into the coming warmer Months.
My father was an avid swimmer, even at the age of 80, he was able to swim 40 laps of a 25 metre pool 5 days per week, it was also a good social outlet for him as well.

cheers

brumby33

[Mububban]

I would strongly recommend a good sports injury physio rather than a chiropractor - in my experience, chiropractors can be very helpful, but some can do more damage than good. A good physio will give you a regime of exercises to strengthen your lower back and core muscles and a strong core is a great step towards protecting your back. I still do about 30 minutes of these exercises every morning (more than 10 years after I saw the physio). I have found that cycling certainly does help with the core strength as well, and keeps some excess weight off around the middle.

I agree. Chiropractors never fix you, they make you feel great but want you to come back regularly forever. My physio told me flat out "if I do my job well, I hope to never see you again."

i'm tall and skinny and had lower back problems up until my early 20s. Pilates-style core exercises fixed me. Youtube some examples of "dead bugs" and "bird dog" exercises, plus plank variations as you progress, general core work in all directions solved what I thought was just part of my life.

Hopefully you can find what works for you.