For years, I had a lot of significant back pain. It was only in my 30s that I realized how crucial exercise is. Couple that with the fact that we’ve reviewed the most camera bags of any publication on the web, and you genuinely need exercise. Thankfully, the back pain has gone away with exercise. But more importantly, what we found is that it’s all about exercising your core. If you’ve been curious about self-care for photographers, we invite you to dive in with us.

Why work on your core? Well, a robust and stable core can help with various things. It allows you to stand straighter and carry camera bags for longer periods of time. In our tests, we often walk for miles with camera bags. We don’t expect most photographers to do that unless they’re on a photo walk or hiking. So in that regard, our camera bag tests tend to go a bit overboard at times. But, as we’ve discovered by talking to various folks in the photo industry, core strength is super important.

I can tell you a lot of what happened to me before I lost weight and started working on my own core. I, like many photographers, spend a lot of time in front of a computer. This sedentary position means the body can become hunched over a keyboard for a long time. It also means that you’re not working the muscles you really need. This resulted in lots of back pain because my core just couldn’t handle heavy camera bags. Beyond just that, it meant that standing up with cameras slung around me also wore on my back and chest after a while. Basically, my body wasn’t strong enough to even do my job. You wouldn’t ask someone who can’t lift sheetrock over their head to do that job. So how can a photographer do theirs if they’re not physically fit enough to do it? Imagine doing this for a long wedding, an all-night party, or a day job shooting corporate headshots.

“Physical fitness, in particular core strength, is something I take very seriously,” says photographer Spencer Bentley. “The type of photography I specialize in requires me to work with athletes. I need to be able to match their energy, plus my style includes a lot of lower angles that can be challenging, especially with a lot of gear.” We’ve featured Spencer a lot on the site. And he’s always had to be fit for the work he does. He continued to reinforce that countless hours spent editing is also pretty bad for your back. In fact, he says it can wreck your posture.

“To ensure I get my workout in every day, I do it first thing in the morning when I wake up. I do a 30 minute yoga flow or dedicated core workout and sit in meditation for 15-20 minutes.”

Photographer Spencer Bentley’s workout routine

I can agree completely with Spencer’s routine. Personally, I beat obesity years ago through intermittent fasting, indoor cycling, and yoga. And for the past few years, I’ve maintained an overweight status while still being considered very fit for 34 years old and five foot six inches. Things change over the years too. This year I returned to doing yoga or pilates every day. Some days I do both. I also walk for around two miles when I go to the studio. But one of the most surprising things that I’ve done too is modifying my diet. I cut back a lot on meat after observing what all the extra hormones were doing to my cholesterol. (Still, you’ll need pry lamb shoulder from my cold, dead hands.) Even after a workout, though, I don’t need to have animal protein all the time. But that’s just my body; self-care for photographers can take on many different routines.

A while back, I wrote about the benefits of photo walking, self-care for photographers, and weight loss. It took lots of commitment, but I combined intermittent fasting, yoga, and indoor cycling to keep myself fit. In under a quarter of a year, I started to see results. Suddenly, my core could carry camera bags and shoot for longer periods of time again. It was so freeing. Going upstairs felt easier, my joints felt better, and my back didn’t hurt as badly.

Photographer Katia Repi...