THE back must be the most unsung part of the body. It is taken for granted and rarely considered until something goes wrong. And when it does go wrong it occupies just about every painful movement and waking thought!

The back supports our basic structure and keeps us upright and functioning. The admonishments “show some spine” and “get a backbone” are cutting but powerful turns of phrase based on physiological fact.

There are niggles and injuries that can be accommodated and muddled through, not so the bad back. When this strikes it is utterly restrictive and debilitating.

But it’s just not very sexy. I made a workout DVD called ‘10 Minute Method Workouts for Back Pain & Posture’ which is hardly the sexiest title on the HMV shelves or Amazon listings!

And in training terms the back doesn’t win too many fans. At least the lower back doesn’t and that is really the business end when it comes to function. 75 per cent of us have a significant lower back episode in our lives. A figure like that should really make us sit up and take notice. If we can.

We train other parts of our body and see inspiring results, but with our lower back there is no such visual spur. And with a bad back those effective upper and lower body workouts become next to impossible.

The back is not dissimilar to the rib cage. A pulled intercostal muscle or cracked rib, and movement, coughing, sneezing, laughing and even yawning become agonising.

A well trained lower back is not only a functional necessity but it can actually give a somewhat sexy sweep to the buttocks, and for those with a ‘flat’ backside it can help create an illusion of a more ‘pronounced’ bottom.

However just performing classic back extensions won’t suit everybody. If for instance you have a back known to be ‘lordotic’ with a deep curve in the lumbar area (think of the gymnasts’ posture and their bend here) then a good old back bend isn’t for you. That’s because you already bend sufficiently there and it would be like folding a piece of paper in the same fold, it wears eventually.

What this back type needs for more strength is to shorten the abdominal muscles and get the deeper transversus strong. This will help tilt the pelvis backwards and the pubic bone forwards and even out the exaggerated kink.

Abdominal exercises that keep the lower back flat to the floor, with knees raised and square to the hips, ensure the correct muscles are engaged to support lower back weakness or vulnerability. I’ve seen wonderful results from taking this approach for lordotic postures with back discomfort.

The opposite is a flat back posture with few spinal curves. For these types it is an idea to stretch the stomach muscles to allow more flexibility and less rigidity in the lower back. Rotation exercises are ideal.

We need to look at the body as one piece. Is a back issue related to the pelvis, upper back or commonly the buttocks? It’s not unusual to hear complaints of lower back discomfort but after some good stretches for the glutes, the discomfort passes. Of course there are many back problems that don’t resolve as easily.

A structurally balanced and sound skeleton will ensure tensions can’t survive because the muscles, nerves and circulatory system will perform their roles as designed. Imperfections, imbalances and compromises will be countered.

The body is a mechanical marvel that’s incredibly resilient to the battering it takes. However nothing will nobble it quicker than a bad back.

Your lower back might not draw admiring glances on the beach this summer, but your general shape, posture and movement might – and that could be down to that back of yours!