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Dear Heather … Back Pain & Walking

Dear Heather,

I’ve been walking as much as 30 minutes a day since just after Christmas. I’ve been pretty proud of the fact that I’ve kept it up at a decent pace in order to get in shape and losing weight. I’ve lost a few pounds, but I’ve already noticed that I feel stronger and I’ve trimmed two inches off my waist. But over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been noticing tightness in my lower back and it seems to get worse when I am walking and it leaves me sore most of the day. I stretch out before and after, but I was wondering if you could give me some suggestions on the types of stretches I should do to avoid this kind of soreness in the future.

Thanks! Walking Mom

Dear Walking Mom,

Walking is a great form of exercise and one of my personal favorites. Soreness in your lower back may be attributed to many different causes and let’s talk about this a little. If you’re walking outdoors, that means chances are you are walking on concrete. This is hard ground and you need to check the state of your walking shoes.

Walking shoes are a great deal like the tires on your car and if you don’t maintain them then you can be suffering from shock to the shins and more. This can put undue pressure on your lower back. Also, do you walk in the same direction every time? Some sidewalks and streets are uneven, putting one leg a few millimeters higher than the other and this can create stress on your lower back. You might try alternating the direction you walk every other day.

You can warm up by doing deep knee bends and trunk twists. You can also do a walking lunge for a few yards as you get started. After your walk, you should do some static stretches that include lying down on your back and pulling your knees towards your chest and your head towards your knees. Hold these types of stretches for up to 30 seconds at a shot.

Strength training can also help strengthen your back and avoid soreness in the future. However, if your soreness is persistent, then I would also recommend that you visit your physician. Pain is our body’s way of telling you something is wrong. So don’t ignore it without a doctor’s evaluation. Good luck with your workout!

Do you have a question? Send it in and check out our previous Dear Heathers for more fitness questions and answers.

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About Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago. They have a beautiful daughter who just turned five years old. She is learning to read and preparing for kindergarten in the fall. An author of more than 300 articles and 500+ web copy pieces, Heather has also written three books as a ghostwriter. Empty Canoe Publishing accepted a novel of her own. A former horse breeder, Heather used to get most of her exercise outside. In late 2004, early 2005 Heather started studying fitness full time in order to get herself back into shape. Heather worked with a personal trainer for six months and works out regularly. She enjoys shaking up her routine and checking out new exercises. Her current favorites are the treadmill (she walks up to 90 minutes daily) and doing yoga for stretching. She also performs strength training two to three times a week. Her goals include performing in a marathon such as the Walk for Breast Cancer Awareness or Team in Training for Lymphoma research. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience through the fitness and marriage blogs.