http://www.spine-health.com/wellness/exercise/exercise-walking-better-back-health
People with ongoing or recurrent episodes of lower back pain should consider the benefits of walking as a low-impact form of exercise. Aerobic exercise has long been shown to reduce the incidence of low back pain. However, people with low back pain often find some forms of exercise too painful to continue, and therefore don’t get the exercise they need to maintain good health. Exercise walking is one way to benefit from regular exercise while not aggravating the structures in the lower back. **It is cheap and its easy and its free and able to be done anywhere**
For some back conditions, walking will aggravate or cause too much pain to be bearable. For these patients, other low-impact exercise may be advisable, especially water therapy (pool therapy such as aqua-jogging or deep water aerobics). The body’s buoyancy reduces compression on the lower back, allowing for more pain free movement. **I would love to do this but am way to embarrassed to go to an open swimming pool. I am afraid someone would laugh at me**
It has long been known that there are many inherent health benefits from a regular routine of exercise walking, such as:
- Strengthens muscles in the feet, legs, hips, and torso – walking increases the stability of the spine and conditions the muscles that keep the body in the upright position.
- Nourishes the spinal structures – walking for exercise facilitates strong circulation, pumping nutrients into soft tissues and draining toxins.
- Improves flexibility and posture – exercise walking along with regular stretching allows greater range of motion; helps prevent awkward movements, and susceptibility of future injury.
Walking. In general, walking for exercise is very gentle on the back, and walking two to three miles three times per week is very helpful for patients. Walking also has the advantage of not requiring special equipment (except a good pair of shoes suitable for walking) and it can be done inside or outside, in almost any location, including at home on a treadmill.
Whatever low-impact exercise is used, the exercise should be vigorous enough to increase the heart rate to the target zone (which is scaled to the age of the patient) and keep it elevated. Elevating the heart rate for at least 20 minutes is required to improve cardiovascular strength, burn excess calories, and make noticeable strides in fitness.
North Carolina Keto Girl 
Good post..very informative….thanks..kat
thanks my friend
Walking is a great way to get exercise that’s also really gentle on sensitive joints, muscles, and connective tissue. People forget that aerobic exercise is defined as “mild to moderate” sustained effort. One thing about walking or even just standing is that posture makes a difference. A trainer named Kelly Starrett wrote a book, now in it’s second edition, called “Becoming a Supple Leopard” that’s very instructive.
It might be kind of overkill for your purposes, since he teaches proper body mechanics for all kinds of sports but mainly free weight lifting you’ll find in crossfit, however his advice on how to stand, sit, and walk would be right up your alley.
My wife found the book available through our local library system, so chances are, you could check out a copy at your library and save having to purchase it.
Walking is part of the culture here – I often come across very elderly people out for a mini-hike. For me it has been a godsend … I can walk and walk here and choose my terrain (though generally strenuous it can be a little flatter if I stick to roads) and it keeps me aerobically trained and with congenital ankylolising spondylitis playing it’s increasinging difficult role in my life, if I let it, I can allay crippling ultimately bent double back condition for the longest possible time.
i remember when i couldnt walk far…and if i am not careful, i could allow myself to be that way again…small steps and just doing it will work..its easy..its free…its good for me…nothing like a breath of fresh air