I have a belief that a lot of (but certainly not all) back pain is caused by weak back muscles. Back muscles support the spine and hold it straight against the

I have a belief that a lot of (but certainly not all) back pain is caused by weak back muscles. Back muscles support the spine and hold it straight against the weight of the abdomen. Like all muscles, they atrophy if you don't exercise them. The very best way to exercise them is to spend most of your day standing, walking, and a good part of it running. Which is what evolution designed our bodies to do. I had a standing desk at work and while I only used it for a couple hours a day, it helped GREATLY in erasing my chronic back pain. The fact that they studied standing desks in particular is a bit odd, but it fits into the growing body of evidence showing that activity and fitness don't have nearly as big an impact on cardiovascular disease as diet does.