Walking every day may be the simplest way to prevent chronic lower back pain. A large NTNU study of 11,000 people found that walking more than 100 minutes daily lowers risk by 23% — and pace matters less than volume.
For millions of people, lower back pain is an all-too-familiar struggle. But new research suggests that prevention might be much simpler than we think: just walk more.
A large-scale study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), involving more than 11,000 participants, found that people who walked over 100 minutes a day had a 23% lower risk of developing chronic lower back pain compared with those who walked less than 78 minutes daily.
What matters most, researchers emphasize, isn’t the intensity of walking — it’s the amount. A slow stroll offers nearly the same protection as brisk walking. “It is better to walk a lot than to walk fast,” said Rayane Haddadj, lead researcher and PhD candidate at NTNU.
The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, stand out because they directly measured both walking volume and intensity using body sensors worn by participants for a week. Unlike previous research that mostly focused on exercise in general, this study zeroed in on everyday walking.
Back pain is one of the most common health problems worldwide. In Norway alone, up to 80% of people will experience it at some point, and roughly one in five are dealing with it right now. Treating musculoskeletal disorders like back pain is also among the biggest expenses in healthcare systems globally.
Professor Paul Jarle Mork, a co-author of the study, stresses the potential impact: “If more people built regular walking into their routines, we could prevent many back problems — and reduce healthcare costs at the same time.”
The takeaway? You don’t need to run marathons or hit the gym to protect your back. Just lace up your shoes and make walking a daily habit. Even leisurely strolls can keep your back healthier in the long run.