Walking for Low Back Pain Relief

Walking has many benefits. A study published this month in The Lancet demonstrated another one. People who walked regularly had almost twice as long between episodes of low back pain compared to the control group.

Walkers averaged 208 days before having a recurrence of pain, compared to 112 days for the non-walkers. Lead author Dr Natasha Pocovi says, "It not only improved people's quality of life, but it reduced their need both to seek healthcare support and the amount of time taken off work by approximately half."

A summary of the study is at Science Daily.

For enjoyable walking, I recommend:

• Comfortable lace-up shoes in good condition

• Sunblock in the daytime

• An area with trees or near water

• A friend for companionship and accountability

• Build up to a total of 30 minutes on 4-5 days per week

• Add interest by visiting different neighborhoods or parks, or doing an errand on foot

It’s fine start out with less time. Even a few minutes is better than nothing. Work on building up to 30 minutes, spread out over the day in short chunks of time. As your fitness improves, try going for 30 minutes all at once.