If you’ve ever had your back seize up out of nowhere, it’s not just tightness — and it’s not always injury or trauma.
What you’re feeling is usually a protective spasm — your nervous system hitting the brakes.
🧠 Your body isn’t broken. It’s doing its job.
Receptors all over your body constantly scan for threats — sudden changes in position, temperature, or load.
If your body senses you’re in a position it doesn’t trust — maybe you’re fatigued, stressed, or lacking strength — it can lock you up to keep you “safe.”
It’s not damage. It’s defense.
What most people do wrong
When your back locks up, the instinct is to lie flat, avoid movement, and wait for it to ease.
But stillness tells your nervous system:
“Moving is dangerous. Let’s keep things locked down.”
That reinforces the very problem you’re trying to escape.
What actually helps
Gentle, confident movement.
Calm breathing.
Rebuilding trust between your body and your brain.
Here are three great starting exercises:
Cat-camel flow — helps restore spinal movement safely.
Pelvic hikes — reintroduce side-to-side control.
Lateral hip shifts — teach your system that movement is safe again.
Each of these sends a message to your nervous system:
“I’ve got this. We can loosen up.”
How to prevent future spasms
Stretching alone won’t cut it.
You need strength and stability — especially around your hips, pelvis, and trunk.
Building a body your nervous system can trust is the best long-term protection.
Focus on movements that challenge you in all directions:
Forward and back (hinges, lunges)
Side-to-side (lateral steps, carries)
Rotation (anti-rotation presses, chops)
These teach your body to stay composed under load, fatigue, and life’s unpredictability.
Final thoughts
You’re not fragile — you just need the right input.
If your back spasms often, don’t fear it.
Understand it.
Move through it.
Build beyond it.
If you’re based in Bank or Canary Wharf, our team of personal trainers specialise in helping professionals overcome pain, rebuild strength, and move confidently again.
Book a consultation to learn how we can help you move pain-free.
