P90X, or Power 90 Extreme, is a 13-week intense exercise program that is gaining popularity among those looking to get fit fast. Many people experience great results with this exercise program, but it’s important to be careful when starting any new physical activity. The strength and flexibility demands of P90X can lead to back pain for those who are not yet at a high level of fitness when they start the program.

P90X comes with 12 DVDs that focus on strength training, cardio, and stretching. The program can be individualized by selecting the DVD rotation that supports your training goals.

Internet forums are full of people asking for advice on how to avoid back pain during P90X. Many identify the following exercises as the main causes of back pain.

Ab X Ripper

This 15-minute workout is done 3 times a week. It involves a series of exercises designed to build abdominal muscles quickly. Many exercises that target the abdominal muscles cause back pain by creating tension in the lower back.

One exercise in particular performed during Ab Ripper X can create tremendous stress on your lower back and hips: the Fifer Scissors. The exercise involves lying on the ground with your back slightly off the ground and your legs in the air doing a scissor kick. The weight of your legs creates resistance on your abdominal muscles, building strength. The abs are also working to keep the upper body off the floor.

When your legs are in the air, your hip flexor muscles and not just your abs are working hard to support them. The hip flexor muscles pull on the pelvis and force it to lean forward, increasing the arch in the lower back. This can cause significant strain on the lower back muscles.

See the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftk8ZtAcTsg for advice on how to reduce pelvic tilt during the Fifer Scissors exercise. In general, it’s a good idea to tailor Ab Ripper X to your individual needs, performing fewer reps at first, pausing the DVD when necessary, and eliminating exercises that cause pain.

Dreya roll

The Dreya Roll is an exercise at the end of the P90X Core Synergistics segment. You can see it performed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOb3RLgZOgc. This is a very high-intensity workout that many reviewers say can’t be done at first. The force required to push your body from a sitting to a standing position is supposed to come primarily from your core. This presupposes a lot of core strength; when that strength is lacking, you’ll likely find that you bend your lower back to push your upper body forward and gain the momentum to push up. This tenses the lower back muscles.

Many people report that they stop this exercise entirely until they have progressed through the program and have developed significant core strength. If a lack of strength requires you to alter your form to perform an exercise, it’s best to leave the exercise out until it can be performed properly.

plow position

YogaX is part of the P90X program. While this may seem like an easy and relaxing component, it is packed with poses that only advanced yoga practitioners would be able to pull off. One of them is the plow position. From a shoulder position, lower your legs over your head to the ground until the tops of your lower legs are on the ground and your knees are beside your head. This requires great flexibility of the spine and the muscles and ligaments from the lower back to the neck and shoulders.

Attempting Plow Pose for the first few times with YogaX can lead to muscle and ligament strains in your upper body due to overstretching. Many other yoga poses require strength that you may not have at first. Respect yoga as a form of exercise and don’t go into it thinking all poses are possible at first.

Muscle strain is the main danger to the back during P90X. If you continually overexert yourself, you also risk damaging your spinal joints and discs. Tailor the training to your needs and don’t try to keep up with the video instructor at first. Take your time, take breaks when needed, and eliminate workouts that create excess stress on your back.