I've been pleased - no, more like delighted - with the reduction in back
soreness after boat or yard work that I've experienced recently, from two things:

1. basic yoga (learned from yoga for dummies videotape) done for 20-30 minutes
   most mornings; and

2. a variety of crunches - partial situps, mostly done with knees bent, lifting
   upper body only a little way up.  These take only ten minutes or less, done at a
   convenient point in the middle of the yoga routine.

When I first did crunches, it was only the basic straight ones.  When I added
five or six other variants, such as twisting the upper body while lifting it,
first toward one side, then toward the other, I could hardly believe how rapidly
I felt better.  Much more flexible, much stronger abs.

Thanks to yoga (for some months now) and crunches (for only a few weeks) I feel
better all day every day.  I can stand or walk for long periods with no lower
back soreness, and do strenous yard work, or nasty maintenance chores, without
feeling like I've been beat up afterwards (my hands still feel beat up).

The benefits for the time and effort involved are terrific, and I'm speaking as
one who was desk-bound for thirty years, and would never stay with (or even not
hate or be totally bored with) any previous exercise routine.

Richard Cook
New Moon
Bounty 257

While I certainly wouldn't argue with prevention by exercise, diet and
lifestyle, I must say that I rarely go a day without wearing my back
brace.

I am in reasonably good shape and not overweight. My occupation
(running a printing plant) requires a considerable amount of heavy
lifting, stooping and kneeling.  Prior to wearing the brace there were
many days where my fifty year old back protested violently.

Obviously I can't say wether or not the brace has prevented injury. I
can say that it has improved my attitude - particularly at home after a
brutal day at the shop.

One study you may wish to look at can be found:

http://www.vitalityweb.com/backstore/backbracestudy.htm

-fred