I always used to exercise and my back is very painful now. My doctor says to cut back on my exercise to allow my back to heal, but I hate being still.

When a doctor advises you to participate or not participate in certain types of activities, it's always best to speak with the doctor to clarify what he or she means and to understand in the reasoning behind the suggestion.

It is possible that the exercise you are used to doing will place additional strain on your back and will affect or delay healing. However, there are usually activities and exercises people can do even if they do have chronic lower back pain.

To learn what type of exercises you can do, either speak with your doctor or a physiotherapist who can explain to you what types of movements you can do and what types you should avoid.