Use chairs that support the lower back, or use a rolled up towel taped to the chair at the level of the small of the back. Try to sit with the hips and legs at a 90-degree angle. If you experience pain when reclining in a chair whose back is at an angle of 30-45 degrees, the chair should have an armrest. Soft soled, low-heeled shoes also help reduce undue shock and strain to the spine. As long as you take a moment to consider the movements involved in a given activity, you should be able to apply good body mechanics in nearly every situation.
Proper exercise is essential to maintaining low back health and general cardiovascular fitness.
Aerobic exercise uses large muscle groups with low intensity and high repetition. Initially it may be difficult to stick to an exercise regimen, but after a short while you can readily integrate a balanced program into a normal lifestyle. Exercise should be performed at least every other day for a minimum of 30 to 45 minutes. This is necessary to achieve a cardiovascular training effect, which improves cardiac efficiency. Stretching and strengthening do not take as long as aerobic training and can be performed on days alternating with aerobic conditioning.