• Strong abdominal muscles may actually prevent you from incurring a back injury, since these muscles are so critical to maintaining your spine's position, as well as assisting you with lifting.
• Strong abdominals can also lower, minimize, or avoid back pain from excessive strains, help your body deal with sudden bouts of stress, and play an important role in healing after spine surgery or a debilitating back injury.

Here is a simple exercise for strengthening your abdominals:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Tighten your abdominal muscles and tilt your pelvis backward, pushing your lower back toward the floor.
• Hold 5 seconds, then relax.
• Do 20 repetitions.