Simon's answer

Generally, yes — gentle stretching can be very helpful, particularly if you're feeling stiff or tight.

The important word is gentle. Tight muscles are sometimes protecting an irritated or vulnerable area, so forcing a stretch can make them tighten further rather than relax. If you're not used to stretching, or you're stretching because something is painful, it's sensible to get some advice about what's appropriate for you.

Slow, comfortable stretching gives your nervous system time to adapt and can help reduce muscle tension and improve movement.

For lower-back stiffness, I often find a gentle hamstring stretch useful because the hamstrings attach to the pelvis and can influence how freely the pelvis and lower back move.

Stretching shouldn't feel like a competition. More stretch isn't necessarily a better stretch.

#SimonSays: Stretch gently, don't force it, and if a stretch consistently causes pain rather than easing stiffness, get some advice.

Simon's answer

A back spasm can be frightening. Suddenly the muscles tighten and movements you've made thousands of times become extremely difficult.

One way of thinking about a spasm is as a protective response.

If something in or around your back becomes irritated, your nervous system may respond by tightening the surrounding muscles and restricting movement. It's effectively your body's way of saying: “I'm not happy about this — let's not move too much for a moment.”

That's why aggressively fighting against a spasm can sometimes make things worse. If you're pulled slightly forward, for example, forcing yourself upright or stretching hard in the opposite direction may simply encourage those protective muscles to tighten further.

Instead, move gently and gradually within what feels comfortable and give things a chance to settle.

Severe, persistent or unusual back pain — particularly with other symptoms — should be properly assessed.

#SimonSays: Don't fight a back spasm. Encourage movement gently and let your body regain confidence in moving.

Simon's answer

If you've got severe acute back pain and every movement is extremely uncomfortable, a short period of rest can be perfectly reasonable.

But once that initial severe phase begins to settle, prolonged rest is generally not what your back needs.

That's when I like the phrase “movement is medicine.”

Start small. It might initially mean walking around the room. Then perhaps down the garden, along the pavement and eventually around the block.

The important thing isn't speed or distance. Try to find a comfortable, relaxed rhythm and gradually increase what you're doing as your back allows.

You don't need to prove anything by pushing through significant pain, but equally, being frightened to move can make getting going again more difficult.

#SimonSays: Rest when you really need to — then start moving again gently and build up gradually.

Simon's answer

For many people, walking is one of the best forms of movement for a troublesome or stiff back.

Walking isn't simply moving your legs. It's a rhythmic, whole-body activity involving the pelvis, spine, shoulders and arms working together. That alternating movement can help keep the spine mobile, encourage circulation and reduce stiffness.

There's another advantage: your body knows how to walk. Because the movement is familiar and repetitive, you don't have to think about every step and the body can often relax into the rhythm.

Swimming and cycling can offer similar rhythmic movement and may also be useful depending on the individual and the cause of their symptoms.

That doesn't mean everyone with back pain should march five miles regardless of how they feel. Start at a comfortable level and build from there.

#SimonSays: Movement is usually your friend. A regular comfortable walk can be one of the simplest ways of keeping your back moving.

Simon's answer

Gardening itself isn't necessarily bad for your back. The problem is often how long we stay in one position while doing it.

We get absorbed in weeding, planting or pruning and suddenly realise we've spent an hour kneeling, bending forward or reaching at arm's length.

Your back generally prefers movement and variety to prolonged fixed positions.

Try changing position regularly and, every so often, stand up and walk around the garden. A few gentle movements or stretches can be enough to get everything moving again before you carry on.

And then there's hedge trimming — something of a perfect storm for backs: reaching away from your body, holding a relatively heavy tool and repeatedly twisting, sometimes while balancing on a ladder.

The answer isn't to stop gardening. It's to vary what you're doing and give your body regular opportunities to move differently.

#SimonSays: Don't wait until your back hurts before taking a break — change position regularly and keep moving.

Simon's answer

Both heat and cold can feel helpful for back pain, and different people respond differently.

For a recent, painful flare-up — particularly if the area feels irritated or inflamed — I often suggest trying a cold pack first. Cold can temporarily reduce pain and may help calm a sensitive area.

A simple option is a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel. Apply it for around 10–15 minutes at a time, making sure you protect your skin from direct contact with the ice.

Heat can also feel soothing, particularly where muscle tension and stiffness are prominent. However, if heat seems to make the area throb or feel worse afterwards, stop using it and try something different.

Most importantly, neither hot nor cold is treating the underlying reason your back hurts — they're ways of making the symptoms more comfortable while things settle.

#SimonSays: If cold or heat feels good, use it sensibly. If it makes things worse, don't!

Simon's answer

It depends on the pain.

There's a difference between mild stiffness or discomfort that settles as you move and sharp or increasing pain that feels like your body is warning you to stop.

The answer isn't always to abandon exercise completely. Often you can modify what you're doing while the problem settles.

That might mean reducing the weight you're lifting, changing an exercise, shortening a run, lowering the intensity or temporarily choosing an activity that doesn't aggravate the painful area.

I'm a great believer that movement is medicine, but that doesn't mean blindly pushing through every pain.

Listen to what your body is telling you. If an activity repeatedly makes the problem significantly worse, change it rather than trying to win an argument with your body.

And if you're unsure why something hurts, particularly if the pain is significant or persistent, get it assessed.

#SimonSays: Keep moving where you can — modify rather than automatically stop, but don't ignore pain that's clearly telling you something is wrong.

Simon's answer

If you're over 40 and feel as though your body doesn't shrug off little injuries quite as easily as it used to, you're not alone.

As we get older, our muscles, tendons, bones and other tissues change, and our ability to recover from physical stress can change too.

For women, perimenopause and menopause can add another dimension. Changing hormone levels can influence muscles, tendons, joints, bone health, sleep and recovery — although it's important not to blame every new ache or injury on hormones.

The answer isn't to become less active.

In fact, staying active becomes increasingly important. Strength work, regular movement, sensible progression, good recovery and giving your body time to adapt can all help us continue doing the sports and activities we enjoy.

We may have to be a little smarter about how we exercise than we were at 25.

That's not the same as stopping.

#SimonSays: Getting older may mean adapting how you train and recover — not giving up the things you love.

Simon's answer

If you feel that injuries don't disappear quite as quickly as they did in your 20s and 30s, you're probably not imagining it.

Our capacity to repair and recover changes as we age. Changes in circulation, muscle mass, connective tissues, cellular repair processes, sleep, hormones and how quickly we adapt to physical stress can all play a part.

That's one reason why an activity you once bounced back from overnight might now leave you feeling it for a little longer.

But slower recovery doesn't mean you should stop exercising.

It means recovery becomes part of training rather than something we take for granted. Appropriate strength work, mobility, good nutrition, sleep, sensible progression and allowing adequate recovery between harder sessions all become increasingly valuable.

Getting older may change how we train, but it certainly doesn't mean we have to stop.

#SimonSays: You may not recover quite as quickly as you once did — so train intelligently, recover properly and keep moving.