Here’s a list of things that I have done over the past 15 years to overcome back pain and strengthen my core. When I was 35, my back doctor took my MRI to a conference where all back and spinal surgeons across the Wasatch Front were in attendance. He asked them, “What would you recommend for this young man?” All of them suggested decompression surgery.
I asked my physical therapist what he thought, he said “you will feel immediate relief from the pain. However, anytime you cut into the body it takes years off your life.” That statement changed my life. I went on a mission to find a way to relieve my back pain and become strong stronger.
The following things, have helped me.
My Low-back Arsenal
- Foam Roller & Core Exercises – https://share.evernote.com/note/f9e22313-56e6-4c4a-9adc-f88a6fae287b
- Pilates on the Reformer
- Recommendations:
- Awaken Studio
- Bianca Martin – https://www.instagram.com/alchemizepilatesbybianca/ — she works out at Vasa.
- Recommendations:
- Yoga
- Vasa flow classes – I love Sarah B’s classes, she teaches 6am on Wednesdays, and on some Saturdays at 9am
- Deep Stretch – they are slow, but the stretching helps me
- Relieve psoas muscles:
- Pso-rite device – https://amzn.to/4o9Y9GS
- “Pain Free” by Pete Egoscue – https://amzn.to/49wxh0g
- This book has a lot of great methods for relieving pain.
- Core Strength
- Build Transversus Abdominis muscles
- https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/transverse-abdominal-exercises#what-it-is
- Exercises:
- Pelvic tilts with Pilates Small Exercise Ball – in this exercise, lay on your back, legs bent, feet flat. Place the ball under your low back and perform 20-30 pelvic tilts (Kegel exercises) for 2-3 sets. This starts to build the TVA and will create a natural fusion around your spine for protection.
- Dead bug exercise
- Planks
- Glute bridges
- Clam shells with a band
- Build Transversus Abdominis muscles
- Massage
- Muscle Precision Therapy in South Jordan – Holland and Julianne are the owners and they are amazing! Ask for Holland, but he also has other therapists that are trained in his method. Emma is great too!
• • Best massage gun that I have personally found and I have tried a lot of them! Bob and Brad Mini Massage Gun
Tyler Toone 
The emphasis on building transversus abdominis strength through targeted moves like dead bugs and glute bridges rather than just general stretching really resonates. The psoas connection to back pain is also one that tends to catch people off guard since the link between tight hip flexors and lumbar loading is not obvious until you start working on it deliberately. The combination of reformer Pilates with foam rolling makes a lot of sense as a complementary approach because one addresses stability while the other helps restore tissue mobility.