#SpinalHealth

A Bangkok-based physical therapy professional shares a personal journey with chronic lower back pain, highlighting the reverse Jefferson curl as a potential tool for management. After two years of trying various treatments, he reports meaningful relief through a progressive, low-cost exercise. The story reflects a broader shift among Thai clinicians toward accessible, self-managed strategies for chronic back pain.

Lower back pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide and poses mounting concerns in Thailand due to sedentary work, motorbike use, and heavy agricultural labor. Affordable therapies are crucial for rural and low-income communities where ongoing physical therapy can be hard to access. The reverse Jefferson curl, which stretches and strengthens the back with minimal equipment, resonates in Thailand because it supports preventive, self-care practices increasingly emphasized here.

A recent first-person account by a seasoned physical therapist on Fit&Well has generated fresh interest in the potential of the “reverse Jefferson curl” exercise for managing stubborn lower back pain. The therapist, despite years of expertise and trying various treatments for his own two-year struggle with persistent back pain, finally found relief through this exercise—a development that carries significant implications for both healthcare professionals and the millions in Thailand grappling with similar discomfort (Fit&Well).

A new home-fitness trend is changing how people train their cores. Instead of traditional sit-ups and crunches, many are turning to dynamic, dumbbell-based moves. A firsthand feature by Fit&Well’s Yanar Alkayat highlights a weighted core circuit guided by a musculoskeletal specialist, and explains why Thai readers might rethink their approach to ab training.

In today’s fitness culture, core routines often revolve around endless crunches. However, new research and expert insights suggest a broader focus is needed. In Thailand, many people follow online videos and apps that emphasize visible abs rather than functional strength. Weighted core exercises with dumbbells target deeper muscles around the ribs, spine, and pelvis—key for posture, balance, and daily tasks like walking, lifting, and climbing stairs.

A new training trend is shaking up home fitness routines worldwide: swapping traditional core exercises like sit-ups and crunches for dynamic, dumbbell-based moves. As detailed in a firsthand feature on Fit&Well, journalist Yanar Alkayat shares her experience adopting a weighted core circuit, guided by musculoskeletal specialist Kelly Marshall, highlighting key reasons why Thai readers may want to reconsider their approach to ab training (Fit&Well, 2025).

In today’s fitness culture, core workouts are almost synonymous with endless repetitions of crunches—but new research and expert insights suggest this may be a missed opportunity. Many of us in Thailand follow online videos or fitness apps that focus mainly on “visible abs.” However, strengthening only the superficial muscles overlooks vital deep core muscles that underlie our posture, balance, and daily movements. Weighted core exercises, particularly those using dumbbells, have emerged as a way to target deeper muscle layers around the ribs, spine, and pelvis—muscles crucial not only for aesthetics but for practical function such as walking, lifting, and climbing stairs.