Working Out With a Herniated Disc: Lifts to Keep and Drop

You can keep doing exercises such as split squats, supported lunges, and glute bridges with a herniated disc. But you should avoid heavy deadlifts, deep squats, and loaded spinal flexion. Gentle exercises can help you maintain strength without adding stress to your spine. As your symptoms improve, you can gradually add more exercises to your routine.

At Total Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, our doctors first assess how your symptoms respond to the specific lifts you want to continue. Then, we use these findings to determine which movements need modification and how much load your back can tolerate. Based on your progress, we adjust your exercise plan and gradually increase the load as you regain strength. Call 855-321-6784 to book your consultation and get a tailored exercise plan.

How to Work Out With a Herniated Disc: Safe and Unsafe Lifts?

During your workout, focus on exercises that maintain spinal stability without worsening your herniated disc symptoms. For example, split squats, supported lunges, and glute bridges may be easier to tolerate, while heavy deadlifts and deep squats may increase stress on your back. Therefore, adjust your exercises according to your symptoms and movement tolerance.

Additionally, a study of 63 people with lumbar disc herniation found that stabilization exercises improved pain and disability over time. The stabilization group also had better pain and disability scores than the general exercise group after one year. Based on these findings, exercises that improve spinal control may help you stay active as your symptoms improve.

In contrast, some movements can place additional strain on your lumbar discs. For instance, a study measuring lumbar disc pressure found that forward bending and lifting increased disc load by more than 100% compared with standing. Combining bending with twisting further increased the pressure. Because of this increased pressure, you should avoid heavier loads when bending or twisting repeatedly.

Which Lower-Body Lifts Can You Continue Safely?

You can continue lower-body lifts such as split squats, supported lunges, step-ups, glute bridges, and belt squats if they do not worsen your symptoms. Start with lighter resistance and use controlled movements throughout each herniated disc exercise. As your strength improves, you can gradually increase the load while maintaining proper form.

These exercises may be easier to tolerate because you can control the load while limiting unnecessary spinal stress. Here’s how you can perform these lower-body exercises:

• Split Squats: Keep your trunk controlled and shorten the squat depth if deeper positions increase your symptoms.
• Supported Lunges: Use support as needed and maintain a comfortable range throughout the movement.
• Step-Ups: Push through the supporting leg and perform the exercises slowly to maintain control.
• Glute Bridges: Keep your knees bent as you lift your hips, and stop before the movement causes discomfort.
• Belt Squats: Start with a manageable weight and gradually increase resistance as your tolerance improves.

Can You Continue Leg Workouts During Recovery?

Yes, you can continue leg workouts without returning immediately to your previous squat and deadlift routine. Instead, use split squats, step-ups, supported lunges, and glute bridges to train your legs with less load on your lumbar spine. These alternatives help you maintain lower-body strength while you temporarily limit heavier lifts.

Should You Stop Squatting With a Herniated Disc?

No, you do not need to stop squatting completely if you can squat without worsening your symptoms. Maintaining proper form and controlling your trunk and pelvis can help limit unnecessary movement through your lower back. However, stop squatting if the exercise increases your pain, numbness, or weakness.

You can also change the squat type instead of stopping the movement. For instance, a barbell back squat places the load across your shoulders, so axial loading with a herniated disc may increase stress on your lower back. On the other hand, bodyweight, box, or supported squats may be easier to tolerate because you can adjust the weight and depth according to your symptoms. Moreover, you can perform goblet squats as they may reduce shear forces on the lower back compared to traditional squats.

When Should You Avoid Deadlifts During Recovery?

You should avoid deadlifts if reaching for the bar or lifting the weight increases your back pain, leg pain, numbness, or weakness. You should also pause deadlifts if you cannot maintain proper spinal control as the weight increases. Continuing the exercise in these situations may exacerbate symptoms and place more stress on the affected disc.

However, these lifting restrictions for herniated discs do not mean you have to avoid deadlifts permanently. During an active flare, your symptoms may increase with bending and spinal loading with a lumbar disc herniation. In such cases, you may need to temporarily limit deadlifts until your symptoms improve. As you regain control of movement, you can gradually reintroduce the exercise with lighter resistance before progressing to heavier loads.

Can You Modify a Deadlift Instead of Dropping It?

Yes, you can modify a deadlift instead of dropping it if pulling from the floor increases your symptoms, but a shorter range is easier to tolerate. For example, you can perform rack pulls or block deadlifts from a higher starting position with a lighter weight. This reduces the range of motion required through your lower back during the lift.

Is the Leg Press Safe for a Herniated Disc?

Yes, you can perform the leg press with a herniated disc while maintaining a stable lower back position against the backrest. Do not lower the platform until your knees come close to your chest. This can lead to backward pelvic tilt and rounding of your lower back. Instead, begin with a shorter range of motion and gradually lower the platform as your tolerance improves.

In addition to limiting the depth, the backrest position can affect the loading pattern across your lower back during the exercise. For example, in a study of 15 participants, researchers found that different backrest positions changed the pressure between the back and the support. An adjustable backrest reduced peak pressure by up to 26% compared with a flat backrest. For this reason, adjust the backrest angle before increasing the weight or range of motion on the leg press.

How Can You Train Your Upper Body While Healing?

Perform seated or chest-supported exercises to train your upper body while providing additional support for your lower back. For example, supported rows and machine presses can maintain muscle strengthening without requiring significant trunk stabilization. But choose a weight that allows you to maintain proper form without leaning or using momentum.

You can also continue the following upper body workout with a herniated disc:

• Seated Biceps Curls: Keep your back supported and move the weight through your elbows rather than using momentum from your trunk.
• Seated Triceps Extensions: Use a cable or machine setup that allows you to maintain control of your trunk throughout the movement.
• Cable Triceps Pushdowns: Keep your elbows close to your sides and avoid leaning forward as you press the cable down.
• Pec Deck Flyes: Keep your back against the pad as you bring your arms together through a comfortable range of motion.
• Machine Lateral Raises: Use a manageable resistance so you do not need to lean or shift your trunk to lift the weight.
• Supported Rear-Delt Flyes: Use chest support to isolate the rear delts without repeatedly moving your lower back.

Furthermore, a study of 189 patients with lumbar herniated discs used horizontal rows, standing cable pulls, reverse butterfly exercises, and lat pulldowns as part of a resistance-training program. Researchers adjusted the resistance and range of motion based on each patient’s symptoms and progress. Among the 168 patients who completed the herniated disc exercise program, 96.4% reported a significant reduction in their symptoms.

Should You Avoid Overhead Pressing?

Yes, you should avoid overhead pressing if it increases lower back pain, shooting leg pain, numbness, tingling, or muscle weakness. A biomechanical study also reports that lifting heavier weights overhead results in greater lower back movement than lifting lighter weights. Besides that, when you lift a weight overhead, your trunk muscles work harder to control movement in your lower back. This can increase stress on the affected disc, especially if your lower back moves while supporting the weight.

What Are the Best Core Exercises for a Lumbar Disc Herniation?

Pelvic tilts, bird dogs, and abdominal bracing are the best exercises for a lumbar disc herniation. These movements can improve core stability while limiting repeated spinal flexion. Pelvic tilts help you control pelvic movement, while bird dogs train rotational stability. In contrast, abdominal bracing helps you maintain a stable spine during movement.

Here are some other core exercises that can help support spinal stability during recovery:

• Dead Bugs: Keep your lower back stable as you move the opposite leg or arm.
• Side Planks: Strengthen the side of your core while keeping your spine aligned.
• Modified Curl-Ups: Keep one knee bent and limit spinal movement during the exercise.
• Glute Bridges: Strengthen your hips while keeping your trunk stable.
• Heel Slides: Keep one leg extended while maintaining control of your lower back.
• Quadruped Rock-Backs: Shift your hips backward slowly, keeping your spine in a neutral position.
• Seated Chair Stretch: Lean forward gently without increasing symptoms.

Note: Limit repeated flexion exercises such as traditional sit-ups, especially if bending forward increases your symptoms.

Which Lifts Should You Drop During a Flare-Up?

You should avoid heavy deadlifts, barbell back squats, bent-over rows, and other lifts that increase back or nerve pain during a flare-up. You should also pause good mornings, Romanian deadlifts, heavy leg presses, and weighted sit-ups during an active flare-up. Repetitive bending, heavy lifting, or movements that worsen leg symptoms can continue putting undue stress on an irritated spinal disc.

The following exercises may also need modification during an active flare-up:

1. Barbell Hip Thrusts increase lower-back loading.
2. Walking Lunges require greater trunk control.
3. Bulgarian Split Squats increase stability demands.
4. Standing Shoulder Presses increase spinal loading.
5. Hanging Leg Raises involve repeated hip flexion.
6. Russian Twists add rotational stress to the spine.

How Do You Know If a Lift Is Worsening Your Symptoms?

A lift may worsen your symptoms if the nerve root pain spreads down the leg or becomes more intense after exercise. This pattern, called peripheralization, indicates that the movement is increasing irritation around the affected nerve root. If the symptoms worsen during repeated reps, stop the movement and reassess its range of motion and resistance.

Other signs that a lift is worsening your symptoms include muscle weakness, reduced control of the affected leg, or difficulty maintaining your usual movement pattern. A new weakness may make it difficult to push through the foot, straighten the knee, or lift the toes. Similarly, soreness that persists or worsens beyond 24 to 48 hours may indicate that your workout placed excessive stress on the affected area.

Note which lifts trigger your symptoms, when the pain starts, and where it travels. If the same movements continue causing symptoms, visit our spine specialists. We use these details during your exam to identify the movements affecting your symptoms. Based on these findings, we can modify specific lifts while helping you continue the exercises your back can tolerate.

Is Muscle Soreness Different From Disc Pain?

Yes, muscle soreness is different from disc pain. It usually develops 24 to 48 hours after unfamiliar or strenuous exercise and remains localized to the muscles you worked. A systematic review reports that lumbar muscle soreness can temporarily increase low-back pain and sensitivity. But these changes typically follow a short-term pattern after exercise.

Which Symptoms Need Urgent Medical Attention?

You need immediate medical attention if you develop new bowel or bladder control problems, numbness around the groin or inner thighs, or rapidly worsening leg weakness. These neurological symptoms can indicate severe nerve compression, including cauda equina syndrome. In such cases, stop exercising and seek urgent evaluation before returning to your full-body workout with a herniated disc.

If a flare-up suddenly worsens your symptoms, you do not have to wait for a scheduled orthopedic appointment. Total Ortho Express provides access to walk-in, same-day orthopedic evaluation without an appointment. During evaluation, our urgent care team evaluates your symptoms, checks strength and nerve function, and provides immediate treatment to reduce symptoms.

But if your condition requires specialized spine or orthopedic care, our team can connect you with the relevant specialist at Total Orthopedics & Sports Medicine for further treatment. Our fellowship-trained spine surgeons and interventional spine specialists identify the cause of your symptoms and build a targeted treatment plan to restore function and help you return to activity.

How Should You Modify Your Workout While Healing?

Reduce the weight, limit deep spinal flexion, and replace heavy lifting with controlled movements during recovery. Similarly, keep your workout routine focused on muscle strengthening and mobility without increasing disc pain. Limiting running and jumping during a flare-up can also help reduce pressure on the spine as you continue training.

Instead of stopping your workout completely, you can modify the exercises in the following ways:

Exercise to Modify	Safe Alternative
Heavy Barbell Back Squat	Goblet Squat to a Box
Heavy Conventional Deadlift	Dowel Hip Hinge
Bent-Over Barbell Row	Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row
Standing Barbell Overhead Press	Seated Machine Shoulder Press
Weighted Russian Twist	Pallof Press

There is a common myth that you need to stop exercising completely until a herniated disc heals. Instead, you can modify exercises that increase your symptoms or place excessive stress on your lower back. In fact, a 2025 clinical guideline recommends core stabilization and strengthening exercises for patients managing lumbar disc herniation. Therefore, continue with movements you can tolerate and gradually increase the resistance as your symptoms improve.

How Much Weight Can You Lift Without a Flare-Up?

There is no specific weight limit that can prevent a herniated disc flare-up. The safe training load depends on your current symptoms, strength, and ability to maintain proper form. Start at a level below your usual training load, and increase resistance only when you can complete the movement without worsening your symptoms.

Progressive resistance training after a disc herniation also helps you rebuild basic movement before resuming resistance, rotation, and heavier lifts. For example, a 2024 review examined the recovery process for returning to sports after a lumbar disc herniation. The authors recommend restoring mobility and strength before reintroducing axial loading, rotation, and sport-specific movements.

What Should You Test Before Lifting Again?

Before lifting again, test whether you can bend, hinge, squat, and brace your core without increasing back or leg symptoms. Then, check whether you can maintain control through each movement without compensating or losing balance. If these basic movements remain comfortable, you can gradually progress to resistance exercises.

You should also check specific movements that require strength and control before returning to heavier lifting, such as:

• Single-Leg Step-Down: Test your ability to control your body weight on one leg without losing stability.
• Heel Raise: Test calf strength by completing controlled repetitions on each side.
• Toe Raise: Check whether you can lift the front of each foot without noticeable weakness.
• Step-Up: Test if you can push through each leg and step onto a platform without symptoms.
• Farmer Carry: Check whether you can carry light weights while keeping your trunk steady.
• Light Sled Push: Test your leg strength during pushing without increasing back or leg symptoms.

How Soon Can You Return to Lifting After a Herniated Disc?

You may return to lifting weights within 4 months after a herniated disc, although the exact timing varies depending on your symptoms and recovery. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that athletes treated without surgery returned to play after an average of 4.11 months. Overall, 81.5% returned to their sport after nonsurgical treatment.

However, your recovery may take longer if you undergo surgery for a slipped or ruptured disc. The same systematic review and meta-analysis found that athletes who underwent lumbar discectomy returned to play after an average of 5.19 months. Overall, 83% of athletes returned to play after surgery.

Important: Since recovery varies from person to person, consult our spine specialists before returning to your regular training routine. We evaluate your strength, nerve function, and recovery progress to guide a safe return to your regular training while supporting your long-term spine health.

Do You Need an MRI Before Returning to the Gym?

No, you do not always need an MRI before returning to the gym after a herniated disc. The healthcare professionals assess your symptoms, strength, and nerve function to determine how well you are recovering. They may recommend an MRI only if you develop new weakness, persistent worsening symptoms, or signs that require further evaluation.

Consult Our Spine Specialists Before Returning to Heavy Lifting!

Weeks away from heavy lifting can reduce your training strength and create uncertainty about returning to your previous lifting level. Even when your pain improves, you may still worry that loaded squats, deadlifts, or presses could trigger another flare-up. Without clear guidance, you may return to heavier loads too quickly, leading to repeated flare-ups.

At Total Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, we help address repeated flare-ups that continue to interrupt your training. Our spine specialists assess what is triggering your symptoms as you increase your training load. Based on the cause, we can modify your treatment to address the disc or nerve irritation that may be limiting your training progress. Call 855-321-6784 or visit us in New York or New Jersey to consult our spine specialists.

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