How can I prevent a back injury while lifting weights?

National Athletic Trainers' Association

To prevent a back injury while weight lifting, you should always keep your back straight and your chest up. It is important to keep your stomach muscles tight throughout the whole lift. You should also lift from your knees and not from your hips.

(This answer provided for NATA by the Washington State University Athletic Training Education Program.)

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Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.

Avoiding Pain & Injury During Exercise

Whether you are involved in aerobics, jogging, cycling or team sports, there are many things you can do to prevent injuries during exercise. Avoid sore arms, leg cramps, muscle spasms and pains by performing warm up exercises. This is a must so you don’t have tight stiff muscles, increasing your chance of muscle injury. Avoid overexertion; exercise at a pace that is comfortable for you. Learning correct posture and form can also prevent your muscles being used in an awkward way.

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