Low Back Pain Is Common — But It Doesn’t Have to Stop You

It Didn't Stop Me

At the age of 25, while serving in the Army, I suffered a prolapsed disc. At my worst, I couldn’t even bend down to tie my boot laces or move freely. The injury eventually led to a discectomy procedure, and for a while, my career and quality of life felt like they were hanging by a thread.

A few years later, during a gruelling course in the Brecon Beacons—a crucial step for progressing my Army career—I slipped on a wet slope and had to be medevaced off the mountain. Once again, I found myself unable to move properly, reliant on morphine-based painkillers just to get through the day.

It was a dark and frustrating cycle. But instead of letting it define me, I committed myself to learning, rehabbing, and applying mobility, flexibility, and strength training with a focus on building a strong, stable back. Through smarter training strategies and patience, I rebuilt my body and regained my freedom of movement—today, I move with the same ease and confidence I had in my teens.

At Ignite Fitness, this philosophy is at the heart of what we do: no matter where you’re starting from—whether it’s pain, injury, or limitations—you can rebuild strength, resilience, and performance.

Don’t Stop Training — Train Smarter

Over the years coaching at Ignite Fitness, I’ve worked with countless people dealing with low back or hip pain. Sometimes it’s from heavy lifting, sometimes from repetitive movement in sport, and sometimes from weaknesses or imbalances. Regardless of the cause, the solution is not to stop training.

We need to modify, adapt, and keep working. If a certain movement causes pain, you don’t abandon training altogether—you adjust. That might mean choosing a different variation, working within a pain-free range, or focusing on mobility and stability until your body adapts.

This is one of the core approaches we teach at Ignite Fitness: movement modification without losing progress.

Don’t Just Stretch — Strengthen

One of the most common (and lazy) answers to back pain is, “Just stretch.” Stretching can help temporarily, but if strength and tissue tolerance aren’t addressed, the pain will return the moment load is reapplied.

At Ignite Fitness, we coach people to build durability. That means not only improving mobility but also progressively strengthening the supporting muscles around the spine and hips.

Think of it this way: stretching may relieve discomfort, but strength builds resilience.

The Joint-by-Joint Theory

Another concept I apply at Ignite Fitness is the Joint-by-Joint Theory, a framework introduced by legendary coach Mike Boyle. Simply put: the site of pain isn’t always the source of pain.

For example, if your ankles are tight and you back squat, your hips and spine may be forced to compensate. That extra stress often ends up in your lower back. By addressing mobility and strength above and below the problem area, we can alleviate strain and restore proper function.

5 Go-To Drills for Low Back Pain

Here are five of my favourite mobility and strength exercises we use at Ignite Fitness to help athletes manage low back pain and keep training:

1. Banded Pigeon Stretch – A progression of the classic pigeon pose using a band for deeper piriformis activation.

2. Banded Hip Flexor Stretch – Targets weak/tight hip flexors; add glute activation to protect the spine.

3. Lying Open Books – Improves thoracic rotation and upper spine mobility, reducing compensations in the lower back.

4. Band-Resisted Cat-Cows – A lumbar-focused progression that provides immediate relief while reinforcing controlled movement.

5. Suitcase Carries/Marches – A core-stability staple that builds resilience in the entire lumbo-pelvic-hip complex.

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These drills aren’t one-size-fits-all solutions, but they’re powerful tools to strengthen, stabilise, and relieve stress on the lower back.

Final Thoughts

The body is complex, and low back pain rarely has a single cause. But with smart training, progressive strength work, and mobility targeted at the right areas, you can continue to train and even thrive while working through discomfort.

At Ignite Fitness, we help athletes and everyday clients learn how to train around pain, build resilience, and come back stronger.

👉 If low back pain has been holding you back, check out more resources at www.ignitefitness.online or connect with us for personalized coaching.

Don’t stop training. Train smarter. Strengthen, don’t just stretch. And build a back that can carry you forward.