Are you suffering from chronic low back pain? One of the best ways to get rid of it is walking, and the faster you walk, the lower your risk of this debilitating condition.
According to a new study, people who walked between 101 and 124 minutes daily had a 23 per cent reduction in lower back pain risk. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, also found that moderate- or brisk-pace walking was linked with a lower chance of CLBP. However, the risk reduction from walking intensity was not as pronounced as it was with time spent walking.
According to experts, chronic low back pain is usually defined as pain lasting for at least three months – and is quite common among both men and women of all ages – an estimated 30 per cent of adults globally. The World Health Organisation estimates as many as 843 million cases of the condition by 2050.
“This is an important finding because walking is a simple, low-cost, and accessible activity that can be promoted widely to reduce the burden of low back pain,” said Dr Rayane Haddadj, study author at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
How does walking distance and intensity help lower back pain?
Researchers gathered around 11,000 adults from Norway with 55 years as an average age. When the study began, none of the participants had CLBP. They were made to wear accelerometers to track their movement and walking intensity for a week, which helped provide detailed and correct data on their walking behaviour. Then, data on their daily walks was collected from 2017 to 2019 and then followed up from 2021 to 2023 to ask participants whether they experienced any chronic “pain or stiffness” in their lower back.
From there, the researchers found that:
- Walking between 78 and 100 minutes per day was linked to a 13 per cent lower CLBP risk.
- Walking between 101 and 124 minutes per day was linked to a 23 per cent lower CLBP risk.
- Walking over 125 minutes per day was linked to a 24 per cent lower risk of CLBP.
Haddadj and his team also found that walking with a moderate or brisk intensity – at least 4.1 kilometers per hour – helped reduce CLBP risk by as much as 18 per cent.
How does walking prevent chronic pain?
According to experts, there are many reasons why walking – specifically at a brisk pace – is great for your back. Apart from promoting mobility and reducing stiffness, it also stimulates your muscles by creating an extension of your lower spine, activating the glutes, spine stabilisers, and core.
It helps make the tissue between your muscles, tendons, and ligaments flexible – reducing stiffness, the main cause of pain – and supports range of motion in the joints. Walking daily also helps regulate blood circulation across your body, which helps bring oxygenated blood to your back – reducing inflammation.
Along with these factors, walking helps control weight – thereby reducing stress on your lower back.
How to have a consistent walking schedule?
To level up your walking routine, even if you have chronic low back pain, experts recommend that you should:
- Start with just five or 10 minutes at a moderate pace, and build up gradually to reduce the intensity of flare-ups.
- Be consistent even if you are doing 30 minutes daily.
- Walk on a flat, even surface first.
- Invest in quality footwear and wear shoes that are specifically made for walking.
- Slowly build up your speed and distance.