There was a time when “cycling” meant getting on your bicycle and pedaling for the purpose of going somewhere. Today, cycling can mean that, but it can also mean “spinning.” Spinning is the act of getting on a bicycle, pedaling and going nowhere, at least nowhere that the eye can see, at first. In time you will see definite improvements to your well-being, your overall health, beneficial changes to different body parts and a newfound strength to the area of your back.

Some cyclists start their hobby to decrease back pain.  Pain can be present anywhere in the back area and be felt as mild or severe. The causes can be anything from pulled muscles to slipped or degenerated discs to traumatic spinal injuries. If you suffer from back pain, cycling can minimize the pains in the upper and lower back. And in some cases, it can help make the pains vanish forever.

What you are actually doing when cycling is strengthening and toning your back muscles, especially those muscles on either side of the spinal cord. When a person ages, they have a tendency to become less active. Or because of some health condition, they may be forced to limit their physical activities. This lack of exercise can cause muscles to lose tone, and become weakened and flaccid. In this condition, they cannot support the alignment of the vertebral column, nor keep each vertebrae from slipping out of place.

When there are vertebrae out of alignment, a pulled muscle, a torn tendon, a sprain or a strain-- the wrong kind of exercise can exacerbate the condition. Too often we see body builders with backaches trying to “work it out,” with heavy weights or increased reps and all they do is make it worse. They increase activity, when the actual remedy most times should call for inactivity-- initial back rest to let the muscles relax and recover, then followed by light to moderate exercise. Like cycling, for one.

One of the extras you get from cycling is a low impact form of an aerobic work out as well. Aerobic exercise added to your daily routine not only strengthens your back, it helps with certain conditions, like a stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal and osteoarthritis, and in the prevention of further injuries. It also helps keep your joints flexible, reduces stiffness, and tones up the muscles that support the joints.

Start slowly. You’re not out to beat any speed records. You’re not going into a cross-country marathon. You have nothing to prove to anybody. Just be careful to cycle at a moderate, even pace, on as smooth a path as possible. The jolt you may get from hitting a rut or pothole will not be totally absorbed by your bicycle and may make matters worse. And this goes without saying, but don’t forget to protect the other parts of your body as well. Wear a helmet, use the proper shoes, dress accordingly and protect yourself from over-exposure to the sun.