Seven ways to ease lower back pain when running
March 19, 2025
Have you started to notice lower back pain when running? For some, it starts as a dull ache. For others, it begins with a jolt and a sharp spasm. Or, you might notice a strange tingling or tightness.
Whatever the exact symptoms, experiencing lower back pain from running is very frustrating. It can interrupt your training routine, reduce your enjoyment of recreational running, and even cause discomfort when you aren’t working out.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to manage lower back pain when running. We first explore some of the underlying causes, then describe seven ways to avoid lower back running pain.
Causes of back pain from running
If you’ve begun experiencing lower back pain when running, it’s always valuable to speak with your doctor or a physiotherapist. They can investigate the underlying causes and provide the most targeted advice for you.
But it’s helpful to be aware of some of the common causes of lower back pain in running. These can be divided into two groups:
1. Exacerbating existing problems
Running can make pre-existing injuries or problems ‘flare up’. When you run, you add additional strain to the muscles and bones in your lower back, and so the exercise could worsen existing problems. For example, if you have sciatica already, running could make it worse.
2. Problems caused by running
As a general rule, regular exercise is actually associated with a reduced risk of lower back pain, according to research. Nevertheless, running could potentially cause various kinds of injuries:
Sprains: The bones in your back are held in place by muscles and ligaments. When you run, these tissues are put under strain, and small tears or stretches can occur in them. Sprains can make the lower back feel sore and tender.
Herniated disc: Often known as a ‘slipped disc’, this is when the tissue between the bones in your spine gets squeezed out of place. This can lead to sciatica, which is when the tissue interferes with the sciatic nerve (which runs from the base of your spine and down your legs). This may cause sharp pains, tingling or a numb feeling in your legs, hips or buttocks.
Poor posture: Poor posture can also cause lower back pain in running. If you lean too far forward, backward, or to the side, you place extra strain on certain muscle groups.
Injuries:Learn more about running injury prevention with our guides
How to ease lower back pain from running
If you run regularly, it’s possible you’ll experience some kind of running and lower back issues at some point. There are several ways to ease the pain by yourself.
When to see a doctor: Unfortunately, not all lower back running issues can be solved on your own. If you’re experiencing severe back pain that doesn’t go away with rest, seek medical help.
Active rest: Rest is the only way to truly recover from any kind of running injury - don’t be tempted to ‘push through the pain’. Stop running if you feel in pain, and wait at least a week before trying again. Aim to use ‘active rest’, where you continue to walk and stretch - lying in bed or on the sofa can make the problem worse.
Alternate cold and heat treatment: Applying cold treatment (such as flannels with ice cubes inside) to painful areas helps reduce blood flow and tackles inflammation, helping to numb pain. Then, apply heat treatment (with a hot water bottle, for instance). This draws nutrient-rich blood to the painful area and helps you heal.
Over the counter painkillers: Ask a pharmacist for advice on suitable painkillers - these can help reduce inflammation and manage pain while you rest.
For more information on treating a back injury, read this NHS guide.
Running can help lower back pain
Lower back pain in running is a serious issue and shouldn’t be ignored. However, it’s worth remembering that running can actually help reduce back pain too.
For example, in a survey with 777 runners, over half said they had a history of back pain. Of those runners, twice as many reported an improvement of their pain when they went running, compared to a worsening of that pain.
7 ways to avoid lower back pain when running
Prevention is, of course, better than cure. Here are seven ways to avoid lower back pain when running - or stop if from happening again:
1. Improve your running posture
Correct running form is very important for comfortable, pain-free exercise. It helps to evenly distribute the forces produced by running across your body, meaning no single muscle group takes an excessive load. Some tips for running posture to reduce lower back running pain include:
Holding your head high and keeping it centred between your shoulders
Keeping your back straight
Looking ahead of you and not at the floor
Relaxing your jaw and neck
Keeping your shoulders relaxed and parallel to the ground
Not overstriding
Learn more: For a detailed guide to correct running form, read our article.
2. Strengthen core muscles
Your core muscles are a big group of muscles around the centre of your body. They’re found in your stomach, pelvis, hips and lower back. Having a strong core reduces the work your spine has to do to keep you standing up straight. These muscles also help transfer force between your upper and lower body. Strengthening your core muscles can, therefore, reduce lower back pain in running.
Simple core muscle exercises include:
Planks: Start by kneeling on the floor. Then place your forearms on the ground so your elbow is directly below your shoulders. Next, extend your legs and lift yourself up onto the balls of your feet. Your feet should be hip width apart, and there should be a straight line from the back of your head to your heels. Engage your core, and hold the position for 30 seconds. Rest, then repeat twice.
Bridge: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Lift your hips off the ground until your body forms a straight line from your upper back to your knees (your shoulders and neck should remain on the ground). Hold for a few seconds, then lower back down. Repeat 10 times.
Superman: Lie face down on the floor with your arms extended in front of you and legs straight. Lift your arms, chest, and legs off the ground simultaneously as high as you comfortably can. Hold for a few seconds, then lower back down. Repeat five times.
Build these core exercises into your routine as part of your regular training - aim to do them at least once per week. You can find more core exercises for runners on our US website.
3. Warm up properly
According to a survey of 800 marathon runners, failure to warm up adequately was the top cause of lower back pain in running. Whatever distance you’re covering, taking just a few minutes to get your body prepared with a warm up is a very effective way to avoid injury. Warm ups encourage blood to flow to the muscles you use when running and literally makes them warmer - helping your body get prepared.
There are many kinds of running warm up exercises you can do, including:
Brisk walks
Striders
Lunges
Star jumps
Butt kicks
High knees
Read more about running warm ups in our guide.
4. Wear supportive footwear
Running shoes with adequate cushioning and support absorb the impact of foot strikes when you are exercising. This means less force is transmitted to your lower back when running.
In a 2001 study, 12 people were tested when jogging barefoot, then when jogging in shoes with different levels of cushioning. The researchers found that shock transmission to the spine was greater when people ran barefoot. At the same time, lower back muscle response time was faster when wearing shoes.
The researchers concluded that: “These results suggest that one of the benefits of running shoes and insoles is improved temporal synchronization between potentially destabilizing external forces and stabilizing internal forces around the lumbar spine”.
5. Only increase mileage and intensity gradually
There is plenty of evidence that overexertion increases runners’ injury risk. For example, one study of 202 beginner runners found that those who increased their running distance by more than 30% in a two week period had higher injury rates than those who increased distance by 10%. To reduce your risk of lower back pain when running, aim to follow a training plan that only gradually increases running distance or intensity.
6. Incorporate cross training
Cross training simply refers to any “type of exercise that you can substitute for running”, as running coach Laura Norris explains in her ASICS Runkeeper article. It can include many kinds of aerobic activity, including hiking, cycling, elliptical machines, swimming and more.
When it comes to avoiding lower back pain, cross training is very beneficial. It allows you to continue working on your cardio and fitness, but without exposing your lower back to the same forces involved in regular running. Try to include at least one cross training session into your weekly routine.
7. Listen to your body
If you notice you’re having lower back running pain, listen to your body. While some discomfort caused by fatigue or muscle soreness is normal, it should go away by itself. If your pain is sharp, persistent, or continues even when you stop running for a couple of days, rest up and seek medical advice. Continuing to run if you have damaged your lower back will only exacerbate the problem.
Running and lower back pain
As with any sport, running can increase your risk of developing injuries, or exacerbate pre-existing issues. By following the tips we’ve listed in this article - including warming up, increasing distances gradually, and wearing supportive running shoes - you can reduce your chances of experiencing lower back pain when running. That means you’ll continue to experience all the physical and mental health benefits of your sport without needing to take time out.