Frequent exercise helps ease chronic backache

Washington, June 3 (ANI): A new study has shown that frequent exercising can help alleviate chronic lower back pain.

The University of Alberta researchers showed that those who worked out four days a week had a better quality of life, 28 per cent less pain and 36 per cent less disability.

However, those hitting the gym two or three days a week did not show the same level of change.

"While it could be assumed that someone with back pain should not be exercising frequently, our findings show that working with weights four days a week provides the greatest amount of pain relief and quality of life," said Robert Kell, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of exercise physiology at the University of Alberta, Augustana Campus.

In the study, groups of 60 men and women with chronically sore lower backs each exercised with weights in two, three or four-day weekly programs, or not at all.

It showed that the level of pain decreased by 28 per cent in programs that included exercise four days a week, by 18 per cent three days a week and by 14 per cent two days a week.

The quality of life, defined as general physical and mental well-being, rose by 28 per cent, 22 per cent and 16 per cent respectively.

The findings were presented at the American College of Sports Medicine conference in Seattle, Wash. (ANI)