Sometimes you can just feel it creeping up: the gradual tightening and pulling that alerts you trouble is brewing in your lower back. While few of us avoid back pain as we get older, it’s also true that many of us aren’t as vigilant as we should be in doing all we can to avoid back problems. So, let’s take a quick review of some current advice for avoiding or addressing back pain.

To begin with, do you know how to properly sit in a chair so as to protect your lower back? Turns out that since the 20th century, when chairs began to be made of softer materials and less back-supportive designs, people have been incorrectly sitting to the detriment of their lower backs. If this sounds like you, take a look and listen to what “chair coach” Jean Couch has to say about proper sitting techniques here. And if you spend a lot of time sitting in your less-than-optimal chairs, you may want to acquaint yourself with some easy “chair yoga” poses that can keep you sitting upright and in a manner supportive of your back. So stretch out your arms and take a look here.

More generally, for those of us who suffer lower back pain, the evidence seems to support reaching out to a physical therapist rather than taking a pill. And to see the sorts of exercises a physical therapist might prescribe for you, roll out your mat and start engaging in the exercises you see here.