Aim for back pain exercises that get you into comfortable positions. These tend to be most effective at treating back problems, and you are more likely to keep doing them. This combination of gentle exercise with comfortable motion is your best bet for decreasing your back pain.

There are three basic types of exercise to relieve back pain: (1) aerobic exercise, which strengthens the back muscles, along with others, including the heart; (2) strengthening exercises, which hone in on the back, legs, and stomach, increasing your spinal support system; and (3) stretching exercises, which focus on increasing the flexibility of your muscles and tissues, which makes them less susceptible to injury.

(1) AEROBICS. Some of the best back pain exercises don’t even feel like exercise, yet mean big reductions in your back pain symptoms. Aerobic exercises include walking, bicycling, swimming, and wading in waist-deep water. This activity also increases the level of oxygen in your body, which helps to keep your muscles healthy. Walking decreases lower back stress due to the shifting of weight from leg to leg, which gently releases the muscles of your lower back.

(2) STRENGTHENER. Simple yet effective: Lie on the floor, facing the ceiling. Relax your back against the floor. Bend your knees and place your feet flat against the floor. Slowly raise your head and shoulders. Keep your eyes fixed on the ceiling. Count to two, holding this position. Slowly bring your head and shoulders to the floor again. Do this sequence a total of twenty times.

(3) STRETCHES.

(a) Chest and Shoulder Stretch. Clasp the hands behind your waist. Bring the shoulder blades together. Now slowly raise your arms, toward the ceiling and out from your back, until your hands are at mid-back height. Hold this position for ten seconds, keeping a straight yet relaxed back. Repeat the sequence three more times.

- Variation: alternate the interlaced pattern of your fingers, which adds variety and balance to the upper back and shoulder stretch.

(b) Standing Back Bend Stretch. Stand up straight with your hands on your hips, fingers pointing inward toward your spine. Arch as far back as you are comfortable. Keep your neck and jaw loose. Hold this position for five seconds and return to upright posture. Do the sequence a total of four times.

- Variation: you can hang forward in between back bends. Slowly lean forward and do not bounce. Let your arms hang loose. Keep your head tucked in to avoid stressing the neck. Bend in the knees a bit to avoid stressing those joints. Stretch your fingertips toward the floor and relax.

(c) Overhead stretch. Lift your arms over your head, with palms held inward. Bend the elbows as you slowly pull the arms down and back. Keep your palms inward. Your final position will be: Elbows pointed toward the floor, close to the sides. Your hands will be bent at the wrists, palms up like two sides of a scale. (Think of Libra if that helps.) Hold this “equal balance” pose for ten seconds, then slowly release the elbows and wrists toward the floor, wrists out. Do the sequence a total of four times.

Sometimes watching an exercise makes it easier to learn than reading a description of it. You can search “back stretches” and “back strengthening exercises” at YouTube.com for more ideas. And if you have other forms of injury, or any chronic pain such as repetitive stress, your best plan may be to work with a licensed physical therapist.