Back pain exercises: Don't turn your back on exercise

Back pain can be debilitating and difficult to cope with. It affects three out of four people in the UK at some point in their lives.

Maggie Hayward knows all too well the agony a bad back can bring. She’s suffered since she was 18.

"On bad days it can be so excruciating that you really have trouble walking, sitting, I’ve even had to have people help get me dressed. I rarely wear tights because I can’t put them on because by the time I’ve got them on they’ve got holes in them. You can feel like you’re being stabbed in the back, your back’s breaking in half."

Despite undergoing surgery, her back problem has persisted into her retirement. But she’s not one to sit around. Maggie likes to stay positive and keep busy. She does voluntary work for the charity BackCare and champions the benefits of exercise to help ease back pain.

"You don’t have to do a lot. People say to me I can’t do that, but you don’t have to do much. It doesn’t matter what you do. Anything is better than nothing. Just go for a walk, its exercise and that’s important."

Maggie does daily stretching and has even developed her own dance routine, which she finds hugely beneficial.

If you’re suffering with back pain, you should seek medical advice before introducing exercise into your routine.