Back pain is no joke. But it’s also something we tend to conceptualize and describe inexactly.

We talk about throwing out our backs, or more broadly, having a bad back. After the trauma of an acute flare has passed, we generally seek to avoid this or that family of activities we believe contributed to our latest episode–we shouldn’t move furniture around, or bend down so quickly to load the dryer.

Later still, we may think we’re meant to strengthen the core. Unfortunately, while that proactive instinct is laudable, we’ll often get caught up in movements that put undue stress on the lower back like high-repetition situps or crunches. Our abs hurt the next day, though, so we must be doing something right…right?

Not so fast. Your back’s probably a little grumpy too. You might not notice because your abs hurt so much, but it’s there, and when you do think about it, it sort of feels like a one step forward, one step back situation.

Here’s the deal, though–there’s a better way.

Later this week, we’ll go over three techniques we use at Woodshed to strengthen your core in service of a healthier, stronger back, but in the meantime we’ll leave you with a few teasers:

1. Lifting weights with proper form is one of the best things you can do for your lower back.
2. These weights don’t have to be super heavy to make a big difference.
3. It’s important to do it right.

No one wants another back attack. But we can help. In our next post, we’ll show you how.