(Credit: Adobe Stock)

“How do you deal with back pain for runners?” It’s an interesting question, especially because research shows that the average runner tends to have less back pain than the average person. However, that doesn’t mean it never happens. When back pain strikes, finding a solution is the only thing on your mind. We’re here to provide it, and get you back to running pain-free.

Causes of Back Pain for Runners

Pain anywhere in the body is usually indicative of some form of trauma or dysfunction (broadly speaking, of course). It’s a signal to let you know that something is wrong. Ignoring it rarely gets you anywhere, and often even further back than where you started! If you’re feeling back pain while running and/or after running, some causes might include the following.

Hip Flexor Tightness

Our modern lifestyles have us doing a lot of sitting, which puts our hips into a semi-flexed position for long periods of time. This causes the hip flexors to become short and tight. Running on top of that further shortens these muscles, and causes them to wreak all sorts of havoc in the lower back region.

Pulling on Lower Back

The psoas muscle, your biggest hip flexor, attaches to all 5 lumbar (lower back) vertebrae. When the psoas shortens, it pulls on these vertebrae and arches the lower back, tilting the pelvis forward. This constant yanking on the lower back can be irritating and painful for runners who don’t have the core strength to counteract it (more on this next).

Core Disengagement

One job of (some) of your abdominal muscles is to support the lower back by rotating the pelvis backwards (maintaining neutral alignment); opposite of the motion just mentioned. If the hip flexors are hypertonic (too stiff), they overpower the abdominals and overarch the lower back, which, if continued across time, often causes lower back pain.

(Credit: Adobe Stock)

Core Weakness

Running works the core—to an extent. However, it primarily targets more superficial muscles like rectus abdominis (6-pack muscle), while at the same time neglecting deep stabilizers like transversus abdominis and multifidus (if they’re not working properly; a common issue with runners). Dysfunction in the core is one of the main drivers in general for lower back pain.

Transversus Abdominis (TVA)

The TVA muscle wraps around your torso like a corset, and is a major stabilizer of the lower back. It’s called nature’s weight belt for a reason, and is important for maintaining intra-abdominal pressure while moving. Low back pain patients often (it’s almost guaranteed) have poorly functioning transversus abdominis muscles.

Multifidus

Multifidus runs along either side of the vertebral column to help provide support and stability to the spine. Core training that activates the TVA muscle also helps stimulate multifidus, as the two (plus the pelvic floor) work on the same neurological circuit in the brain. Targeted core training that focuses on stability is essential for the runner who has lower back pain.

(Credit: Adobe Stock)

Low Back Injury Prevention Series | Dynamic Runner

Dynamic Runner comes included with a program to help runners with back pain deal with the problem swiftly and effectively. Our Low Back Injury Prevention Series is 6-weeks long and includes 1 follow-along corrective routine per day. These sessions combine mobility and strength training to address back pain for runners head on.

Below you’ll find a sample of the program; week 1, day 1. You can try this out for yourself at home right after reading this article! If you enjoy how it makes you feel, then you’d love the full interactive experience available on the Dynamic Runner app and online platform. Sign up for a 7-day free trial with us by clicking here!

Back Pain Exercises for Runners

Equipment you’ll need:

• A mat
• A block
• A foam roller

1. 90° Squats

• Standing at the front of your mat, open one leg out to the side so your toes are facing one end of the mat; your other foot remains in the starting position
• From this position, perform a squat; inhale, draw the belly in, hold, squat down keeping the chest tall, squat back up
• Swing your leg back in to the starting position
• Swing the other leg out, and repeat the squat sequence
• Alternate back and forth for 60 seconds

2. Single Leg Deadlifts

• Start by standing in the center of your mat
• Inhale and engage the core by drawing the belly button inwards
• Shift your weight onto one foot, then hinge at the hips to start bending forward while reaching towards the ground; your other leg should raise back up behind you simultaneously
• Once you reach as far as you can, return back up to standing—repeat for 30 seconds
• Switch to the other leg, repeat for another 30 seconds

3. High Lunge Stretch

• Get into a high lunge position (pictured above)
• Be sure to keep your hips tucked under your by squeezing the glutes to tilt the hips backwards
• Lean forward into your back hip and front knee to increase the intensity of the stretch
• Hold for 45 seconds on each side

4. Forward Fold

• Stand with the feet hip width apart
• Fold forward until you can place your hands comfortably on the ground, bend the knees as much as you need to to make this happen
• Use the hands to take pressure off of the hamstrings and lower back, focus on feeling a gentle stretch down the whole back of your body
• Hold here for 30 seconds
• Take a short break
• Perform for another 30 seconds; focus on going deeper into the stretch

5. Bridge Adductor Squeeze w/Block

• Lie down on your back with your knees bent
• Place a block in between your thighs and squeeze together
• Push your hips up into a bridge position
• Keep the hips elevated while squeezing the block with your inner thighs (pictured)
• Hold here for 20 seconds
• Lower the hips down and take a quick breather
• Push back up for another 20 seconds

6. Cat-Cow

• Start on all fours in a tabletop position
• Round the back, pulling the shoulder blades away from one another (picture 1)
• Then, reverse the movement, arching the back while bringing the head up and the gaze forward (picture 2)
• Repeat back and forth in a controlled manner for 60 seconds

7. Dynamic Neck Stretch

• Sit comfortably on your mat
• Gently stretch the neck to one side (picture 1)
• Then, slowly roll your head down and around until you’re stretching the opposite side of your neck (pictures 2 & 3, respectively)
• Roll back the other way
• Repeat slowly back and forth for 30 seconds

8. Side-Lying Quad Stretch

• Lie down on your side with your bottom arm supporting your head
• Grab the foot of your top leg and pull it back towards your bum, bending the knee (use a stretching strap if necessary)
• Pull back until you feel a good stretch in your thigh and hip
• Hold here for 60 seconds
• Switch sides and hold for another 60 seconds

9. Roll Upper Back

• Grab your foam roller and place it under your mid-upper back 
• Bend your knees and place your hands behind your head for support
• Lift the hips off the ground slightly and begin to roll up and down your back (stay above the arch of your low back and below your neck)
• Feel free to spend extra times on spots that are particularly tender
• Roll for 45 seconds

You’re Done!

I bet you feel a whole lot more loose and limber now, eh? We have hundreds of routines like this with high quality follow along videos available on the inside of our subscriber platform. Sign up for a free trial today (click here) and join a community of thousands of runners worldwide who are training and competing pain-free!

Written by Eric Lister – Certified Personal Trainer & Corrective Exercise Specialist