Let’s talk about one of the biggest mistakes people make with back pain: resting too much.

Story time.
I hurt my back once in a lifting class. The physio told me: rest, use the massage gun. So I did. I was basically bedridden for days. But instead of getting better, I got worse - stiffer, tighter, and weaker.

Then I started walking. Just gentle movement. Blood flowed, tension eased, and things started to improve almost instantly.

And here’s the thing: science proves this.

  • People told to stay active after acute low back pain had better short-term pain relief and improved function than those told to rest (PubMed, 2010).

  • A large study found that people who took daily walks after back pain had fewer flare-ups and their pain-free periods almost doubled - from 112 days to 208 days (The Times, 2023).

  • Reviews show that bed rest is not effective for acute low back pain and can even prolong recovery (Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, 2001).

  • Resting too long leads to weaker muscles, poorer circulation, and more stiffness, which only makes pain worse (Orthopaedic Group, 2024).

So here are the big rules:

👉 Don’t rest for days on end. If your pain is more than a 3–4 out of 10, pause - but don’t disappear into bed.
👉 Don’t ignore pain signals. Respect them, adjust your movement, but don’t freeze up.
👉 Don’t do nothing. Movement is medicine. Gentle walking, light stretching, and activation work better than lying still.

Of course, if your pain comes from a serious injury or medical condition, see a doctor first, if you haven’t already. But for most people, doing nothing is the worst thing you can do.

Movement heals. Too much rest hurts.

In the next lesson, I’ll show you the simple daily routine that resets your back, switches on your muscles, and keeps pain away.