Walking for more than 100 minutes a day has been linked to a 23% reduced risk of suffering from chronic low back pain.
Researchers set out to explore whether daily walking volume and walking intensity are linked to the risk of chronic low back pain.
Just under 11,200 adults without chronic low back pain at baseline took part in the research, with follow up taking place from 2021 to 2023.
Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology measured daily walk-ing volume and walking intensity through accelerometers worn by participants, while chronic low back pain (LBP) was defined as pain lasting three months or longer in the past 12 months.
The results showed that those people who walked between 101–124 minutes per day showed a risk ratio of 0.77 and those walking 125 minutes or more showed a risk ratio of 0.76. There was also a link between higher walking intensity and reduced risk.
- Taking large strides when walking burns the most calories
- Walking 10,000 steps is good for our health after all
- Walking and doing yoga can help treat depression
The authors concluded: “In this cohort study, daily walking volume and walking intensity were inversely associated with the risk of chronic LBP. The findings suggest that walking vol-ume may have a more pronounced benefit than walking intensity.
“These findings suggest that policies and public health strategies promoting walking could help to reduce the occurrence of chronic LBP.”
Low back pain is the leading cause of functional health loss and is estimated to account for 7.7% of all years lived with disability. In the US, LBP accounts for the highest health care spending along with neck pain.
Read more in JAMA Network Open.
