Running with lower back pain and how to keep your mileage moving
Nicola Tik
Lower back pain is one of the more frustrating things to manage as a runner, partly because running itself can feel like it should be helping, and partly because it is not always obvious what is making it worse. This article looks at how running and lower back pain interact, and what tends to help you keep going.
Running is a repetitive, high-load activity that moves through the whole body with each stride. The lower back plays an important role in that movement, helping to transfer force between the upper and lower body and maintain stability as you run.
For many people, running actually helps lower back pain rather than worsening it. Movement keeps the back from stiffening up, and the strengthening effect of regular running on the muscles around the spine can be genuinely beneficial over time. The difficulty tends to come when something about the running load, the distance, the surface, the pace, or a sudden increase in any of these, tips the balance.
Longer runs, particularly on hard surfaces, tend to be more demanding on the lower back than shorter, varied efforts. Fatigue plays a role too. As the run goes on and the muscles around the back and hips tire, the lower back often absorbs more of the load, which can be when discomfort starts or worsens.
Cadence and running form shift naturally as fatigue sets in. If you notice your lower back tends to feel worse in the latter part of a run, that is often what is happening. Shortening your long runs temporarily or breaking them into two shorter efforts can help manage this while things settle.
The aim is to find the level of running your back can manage comfortably right now, rather than either pushing through unchanged or stopping. For most people that means adjusting one variable at a time rather than overhauling everything at once.
If long runs are aggravating things, try keeping most of your runs shorter and building back up gradually. If harder surfaces seem to be a factor, mixing in softer routes where you have access to them is worth trying. Keeping pace conversational during a period of back discomfort reduces the overall demand on the body and often helps the back tolerate the same distance more comfortably.
The muscles around the hips and lower back, particularly the glutes and deep abdominal muscles, help to absorb and distribute the load of running more effectively. When these are strong and working well, the lower back tends to manage running demand more comfortably.
Short, consistent strength sessions targeting these areas a couple of times a week can make a meaningful difference to how the lower back copes with running over time. Many runners find this more effective than reducing their mileage alone.
If you would like to try a guided exercise for the lower back and hips, VIDA has a short video you can follow at your own pace.