Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Health & Fitness
  3. News

Study shows this type of online exercise class could help your back pain

You don't need to go to an in-person exercise class to lower your back pain

By
Man with back pain
Paolese / Adobe Stock

Around 39% of adults in the United States deal with back pain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research shows that lumbar stabilization exercises and stretching and strengthening exercises can help reduce back pain. One of the reasons exercise could be beneficial for diminishing those aches or twinges is because it lowers inflammation. Studies reveal that just 20 minutes of exercise has anti-inflammatory effects. There are different types of exercise, and working out at home is more convenient and affordable, offering you the privacy and comfort of your own space. A new study reveals that a specific type of online exercise class could also help your back pain. Let’s look at the research. 

The study

Man doing a plank on a yoga mat
Shkrabaanthony / Pexels

In a study published in Jama Network Open, the researchers categorized patients into two groups:

  1. Yoga group 1 — participants received virtual hatha yoga classes.
  2. Waitlist group 2 — participants were on a waitlist for yoga.
Recommended Videos

The study participants were Cleveland Clinic employee health plan patients in Florida and Ohio. Patients in group 1 were given detailed workbooks and video recordings to help them safely practice yoga at home. The trained teachers demonstrated using supportive props like chairs and blocks to adapt poses when necessary.

The study results

man doing yoga at home wearing white shirt on blue yoga mat and wooden floor hand raised in air
Kraken Images / Adobe Stock

When the study began, the participants reported back pain levels of around 6 out of 10. After six weeks, group 1, who practiced yoga, reported that their pain levels dropped to 4. After six months, pain levels declined to 3. Group 2, who didn’t practice yoga, noted that their pain levels remained the same.

74% of participants were taking some type of pain medicine at the start of the study. Six months on, over half of the patients in the waitlist group were still taking ibuprofen, aspirin, opioids, and other pain medicines. Less than one-third of the yoga group continued taking pain relievers.

Patients with back pain who took 12 weeks of online live-streamed yoga classes also moved more easily and slept better than individuals on the wait list for the classes.

If you’re dealing with chronic back pain, it’s best to consult with your healthcare provider, doctor, or physical therapist to rule out any underlying health problems. It’s possible that for some people, yoga could aggravate certain issues.

The benefits of yoga

man and woman working out on floor push up yoga mat plank in gym
Mikhail Nilov / Pexels

Yoga is a meditative movement where you perform specific physical poses and postures while focusing on deep breathing. There are more fast-paced types of yoga that can raise your heart rate higher or slower and gentler practices.

Growing research highlights the many benefits of practicing yoga, such as:

  • Lower stress and anxiety.
  • Decrease back pain.
  • Improve the quality of life in those with chronic conditions.
  • Stimulate brain function.
  • Help reduce the risk of heart disease.
  • Enhance muscular strength and body flexibility.
  • Improve sleep.
  • Promote and improve cardiovascular and respiratory function.

The takeaway

Man and woman doing triangle yoga pose on mat indoors on wooden floor
Nomad Soul / Adobe

The study’s senior author noted that pain levels were cut in half when patients practiced yoga. Online yoga classes are more accessible and allow you to be guided by an experienced yoga teacher while still working out from the comfort of your home. You don’t have to travel to attend in-person yoga classes to get the benefits.

Steph Green
Steph Green
Steph Green (Steph Zee) is a singer-songwriter and professional writer with over 12 years of experience in healthcare and… Read Full Bio
Topics
Health & Fitness
Rumble Boxing vs. Learning the Sweet Science in Mexico City: HIIT Workout or Hit Your Opponent?
Clothing, Footwear, Shoe

First and foremost, anyone who dares throw on boxing gloves and headgear to step into a ring deserves all the respect in the world. It doesn’t matter if you’re sparring in a boxing gym, going three rounds as an amateur, or fighting a sanctioned match. It’s the kind of moxie you can’t help but admire.

Second of all, I won’t lie to you and tell you that my boxing journey began inside a hot and humid boxing gym, like the ones Rocky Balboa trained in during Rocky and Rocky II; far from it. I was 6 years old when I saw my first fight: Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Meldrick Taylor for the WBC light welterweight championship of the world in 1990. I became obsessed with the sport thanks to Oscar De La Hoya’s marvelous run in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where the Golden Boy from East Los Angeles won the gold medal. I told Oscar as much when I interviewed him at length in 2023.

Read more
Health & Fitness
Tired of shaky workouts? Meet the MERACH UltraWalk W60 Plus – a walking pad built to last
Animal, Canine, Dog

Finding time to exercise is hard enough. The last thing you need is fitness equipment that feels unstable, sounds like it’s about to fall apart, or struggles to keep up with your pace. Yet that’s exactly what many budget walking pads deliver. Lightweight frames, noisy motors, and limited performance often turn what should be an enjoyable workout into a frustrating experience.

The MERACH UltraWalk W60 Plus aims to change that. Instead of simply offering another compact walking pad, MERACH has built a treadmill-grade under-desk fitness machine designed for long-term reliability, stability, and everyday convenience. Whether you’re walking while working, squeezing in a quick cardio session, or looking to stay active without leaving home, the W60 Plus is engineered to make movement feel effortless.

Read more
Health & Fitness
From wheelchair to walking: The power of mindset, movement, and never giving up
Steph Zee Christmas Secret Music Video Steph Green

I never expected I’d have to learn how to walk again. That journey took me from writing for doctors and magazines to spending thousands of hours researching health and autoimmune disease. When we have excellent health, many of us don’t give it much thought until those sneaky symptoms start to show, and one day it all comes crashing down. Now, our health becomes one of the most important priorities. When we feel good, we can be more productive and chase our dreams. When our health declines and we don’t feel so good, one of our biggest dreams is just to feel better. 

I became a health writer 12 years ago, shortly after graduating with my creative writing degree and getting a diagnosis of the autoimmune bone condition, ankylosing spondylitis. In an effort to improve my health, stay mobile, and help prevent my bones from calcifying and fusing, I spent thousands of hours studying everything from nutrition and naturopathy to conventional medicine and holistic healing. I heard this somewhere, so I can’t take credit, but I like to say I went to “save my ass university”, because pain and illness are some of the biggest motivators.

Read more