To prevent back problems.

So why are you worried about your back going if you don't do manual labour. Your back isn't going to go...well, unless you fall or something!

If you're not doing manuel labor, the preventative is to strengthen the abdominals and maintain hamstring flexibility. This will permit the pelvis to position correctly, which is important in avoiding lower back problems.

Ok, maybe I need to clarify myself.

I am GETTING a manual labor job and need to know what to do not to hurt my back.

Got it?

Well that's what I figured, but my lesson to you is: Be more specific, the more info you give us, the more we have to help you with :wink:

I started having lower back problems a few years ago. After an MRI the doctor told me the cause was degeneration of two discs.

Between each vertabrae are discs that cushion the spine. The doctor told me that once you get to the late 40s/early 50s, most people have one or more degenerating discs. There's nothing you can do to cause it or prevent it. It's just part of aging.

I've been doing the exercises described in "Backache: What Exercises Work" by Sobel and Klein. They do seem to have helped a lot.

Sorry, I don't have much experience about lifting at work, beyond what you have already posted - lifting with the knees instead of the back.

I've heard that yoga is a great back pain reliever.