The Real Cause of Back Pain (And Why Sit-Ups Make It Worse)

Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most common reasons people stop training, miss work, or limit their daily lives. Yet most people misunderstand what’s really going on. It’s not usually about weakness—it’s about how your spine is stabilized and how you move.

Dr. Stuart McGill, one of the world’s leading spine biomechanists, has spent decades studying low back pain. His research shows that lasting relief rarely comes from random core exercises or generic stretching—it comes from teaching your body how to stabilize the spine under load.

Back Pain Is About Mechanics, Not Just Muscles

Your spine is like a flexible rod designed to transmit force. When the muscles around it don’t coordinate well, that rod bends, shears, and compresses in ways that cause pain.

It’s not a single bad lift or one long car ride that usually triggers back pain—it’s the accumulation of small, repeated stressors over time.

“A strong back isn’t enough. You need a stable back that knows how to handle stress.” – Dr. Stuart McGill

What’s Required for a Healthy, Pain-Free Spine

McGill’s work highlights four essentials for long-term spine health:

• Spinal stability – coordinated bracing that protects your back during daily movement.

• Movement patterns – learning to hinge at the hips instead of rounding the low back.

• Endurance over strength – the spine relies more on muscle endurance than max force.

• Load management – balancing activity with recovery to avoid repetitive strain.

Common Red Flags for Back Pain

If you experience back discomfort, notice when it shows up—it’s often a clue to what’s missing:

Symptom	Likely Issue
Pain with sitting	Posture or disc stress
Pain with bending	Poor hip hinge mechanics
Pain after long walks	Low core endurance
Morning stiffness	Disc irritation or poor sleep posture

The “Big 3” Core Stability Exercises

Instead of sit-ups or heavy back extensions, McGill recommends three foundational movements that reduce pain and build resilience:

Modified Curl-Up – trains abdominal bracing without flexing the spine.

Side Plank – builds lateral stability through obliques and QL.

Bird Dog – coordinates glutes, core, and spine stabilizers for controlled movement.

These aren’t about six-pack strength—they’re about teaching your core to work as an anti-movement system, protecting the spine whenever you lift, twist, or carry.

The Bottom Line

Back pain isn’t a mystery, and it isn’t a sign that you’re broken. It’s a signal that your body needs better stability, smarter movement patterns, and more endurance where it matters most.

At Amara Life Labs, we test and train the exact qualities that keep you moving pain-free—core stability, hip mobility, posture, and recovery. With the right assessments and the right coaching, you can build a spine that stays strong and resilient for decades.