Why does your back hurt? Here are a few common reasons:

First: Belly fat. Dr. Alice Chen is with the Hospital for Special Surgery… and she says, when you have a big belly, it often stresses your lower back because you’re using it as a counterweight to your belly. And fat in the spine can compress the nerves.

Another reason you may have back pain: Happy hour! According to WebMD, alcohol reduces blood flow to the discs in the spine, and inflames the supporting muscles. And if you’re not a big drinker but you’re recovering from a spell of back pain, don't drink. It’ll slow your healing.

One more reason for your back pain: You do strength training AND yoga. Dr. Stuart M. McGill is a professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo, and author of “Back Mechanic.” And he says it may seem great to cover all your bases with different exercises. But when you do yoga, the collagen in your spinal discs softens to help you bend. And when you lift weights, the collagen hardens. So mixing the two training styles can lead to back problems