If you’ve recently been diagnosed, or just suspect something isn’t quite right with your back, you’re probably searching for things to avoid with degenerative disc disease.

If you’re living with back pain, you’ve probably asked yourself this question more than once: is walking good for degenerative disc disease? I know I did. I still do. When your spine feels fragile and unpredictable, even something as simple as walking can feel like a risk. You don’t want to make things worse. But you also don’t want to stop moving completely. So let’s talk about it.

At 15, I started working in a local chemist. What began as a Saturday job soon turned into full-time supervisor role, and I absolutely loved it. The work was physically demanding—standing all day, using heavy-duty cleaning machines, lifting stock deliveries, and constantly moving up and down stairs.