In an interview with the Health Channel, Dr. Ronald Tolchin, Medical Director of the Baptist Health Center for Spine Care, talks about how rowing is a great exercise for back pain when done correctly. 

When you row, you want to make sure you are strengthening your core as well. You do this by contracting your stomach while you row. You want to keep your back straight and as you lean back to row, you are working your abdominal and back muscles at the same time. Using your legs to maintain balance, this is a great way to workout just the core muscles.

Rowing machines provide a great activity for aerobic conditioning. It is good for your heart, lungs, as well as strengthening your back. When you also pull your arms back in a rowing motion, it is also going to work out the arms and chest muscles. Dr. Tolchin then explains how to row correctly; you have to keep your back straight, or maybe arch backwards a little, but you want to keep yourself from going forward. You also want to keep the spine neutral. Dr. Tolchin insists that keeping correct form is of the utmost importance so as to not hurt yourself. 

If you have arthritis of the hips or any spinal conditions, low impact exercises would be best for you. You do not want to be jumping around or running for exercise, as this could be painful for you. Walking, gardening, and even housework are some of the things Dr. Tolchin recommends for his elderly patients or those with back pain. “A lot of my elderly patients love to go dancing, and I promote that,” Dr. Tolchin says. At home exercises are things people can do most days of the week after coming home from work. Golf, badminton, croquet, shuffleboard, and table tennis all provide good low-impact workouts to build strength. 

Watch the full segment of Dr. Ronald Tolchin describing different low-impact exercises that strengthen your back, here: https://youtu.be/O7AgbjXjKI0