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Learn more about home remedies, exercises to relieve lower back pain, and how this debilitating condition can be prevented. [LEARN MORE](https://www.everydayhealth.com/back-pain/) - [1What Is Back Pain?](https://www.everydayhealth.com/back-pain/guide/) - [2Best Home Remedies for Back Pain: Advice From a Physical Therapist](https://www.everydayhealth.com/back-pain/best-home-remedies-for-back-pain-advice-from-a-physical-therapist/) - [38 Best Exercises for Lower Back Pain](https://www.everydayhealth.com/back-pain/best-exercises-for-lower-back-pain/) - [47 Yoga Poses That Can Help Relieve Lower Back Pain](https://www.everydayhealth.com/back-pain-pictures/best-yoga-poses-to-soothe-back-pain.aspx) - [5Sharp Lower Back Pain: What Causes It and How to Get Relief](https://www.everydayhealth.com/pain-management/sharp-lower-back-pain/) [SEE MORE](https://www.everydayhealth.com/back-pain/) [News](https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/) # Walking May Reduce Back Pain Risk, No Matter Your Speed A new study found that 100 minutes a day of walking at any pace can slash the risk of lower back pain by 23 percent — and even shorter walks have benefits.  iStock By [Becky Upham](https://www.everydayhealth.com/authors/becky-upham/) Published on June 16, 2025 Fact-Checked by [Tom Gavin](https://www.everydayhealth.com/authors/tom-gavin/) ### Key Takeaways - Walking daily, even at a slow pace, can reduce the risk of developing chronic low back pain, a new study shows. - The more you walk, the better the protection, with the biggest benefits seen at around 100 minutes per day, with back pain risk dropping 23 percent. - Sitting too much contributes to back pain, and adding more walking or standing to your day can make a meaningful difference. Low back pain is one of the leading causes of disability in the United States. \[1\] Findings from a new study spotlight a solution that could cut the risk significantly: [walking](https://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/everything-you-need-to-know-about-how-to-make-walking-a-workout/). \[2\] “The relationship was dose-dependent, meaning the more people walked, the lower their risk — up to about 100 minutes per day, after which the benefit leveled off,” says lead study author [Rayane Haddadj,](https://www.ntnu.edu/employees/rayane.haddadj) a doctoral candidate in the department of public health and nursing at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway. #### #### Next up video playing in 10 seconds ### 5 Reasons Walking Is Good for Your Health When in doubt, walk it out! Walking is a simple activity that can make all the difference in your health journey. ## Chair-Bound Lifestyles Make Back Pain More Common Lower back pain is so common because the lumbar (lower) spine works hard to support the body: It provides stability for the rest of the spine, serving as the attachment point for muscles and ligaments that allow for walking, running, sitting, lifting, and moving in all directions. The lumbar spine also supports most of the body’s weight and functions as the center of the body’s balance. In today’s world, sitting plays a big role in lower back pain, says [Nick Shamie, MD](https://www.uclahealth.org/providers/arya-shamie), a professor and spine surgeon at the UCLA School of Medicine in Santa Monica, California, who was not involved in the trial. “Chair designs are not the best, and a lot of people suffer from back pain because they’re behind their computer for hours and hours without the right support,” says Dr. Shamie. “When you are seated, you’re loading your discs and your lumbar spine. When you’re standing upright or walking, it increases your core strength because those muscles have to engage. So walking and even standing will help avoid some of the problems with chronic wear and tear that happens in the lower back,” Shamie says. ## Walking About 100 Minutes a Day Significantly Reduced Lower Back Pain The study, which used data from the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) in Norway, followed about 11,000 adults who were 55 on average with no history of lower back pain. At the start of the study, participants wore a device called an accelerometer for an average of six days to measure how much and how intensely they walked each day. People were placed into one of four groups, depending on the number of minutes they walked each day: - Less than 78 minutes - Between 78 and 100 minutes - Between 101 and 124 minutes - 125 or more minutes The subjects were also placed into one of three groups depending on the intensity or effort they put into walking: slow, moderate, or brisk. Researchers then followed all the participants for an average of four years, during which about 1,700 people developed back pain. After adjusting the findings for factors like age, sex, income, depression, and smoking, a data analysis revealed the following: - Compared with walking less than 78 minutes a day, people who walked at least 101 minutes per day lowered their risk of developing chronic lower back pain by 23 percent. - The sweet spot seemed to be around 100 to 125 minutes per day. More than that didn’t offer much additional protection. - Walking with greater intensity (measured by speed and effort) was tied to a lower risk of low back pain, but not as much as walking more minutes. - Benefits were especially noticeable in adults over 65. ## 100 Minutes Could Equal 10,000 Steps This research may help motivate people, especially Americans who are typically walking much less than [10,000 steps](https://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/the-last-word-do-you-really-need-to-take-10-000-steps-a-day/), says [Beth Darnall, PhD](https://profiles.stanford.edu/beth-darnall), a clinical pain psychologist and researcher at Stanford Health Care in California, who was not involved in the study. “Other studies have shown that walking improves overall health, and this study extends the benefits to back pain prevention,” she says. “Walking 100 minutes (or more) might sound hard to fit into your day, but that actually translates into about 10,000 to 12,000 steps, which may seem more doable for some people,” says Shamie. It may also help to channel your inner Norwegian. “When you look at how people live in Norway, even though it gets very cold there certain months of the year, I think people probably walk more than \[Americans\] do as part of their daily routine — walking to work or the grocery store, for example,” says Shamie. Unless they’re actively trying to exercise, most people in the United States don’t walk to work or the train station. “Nowadays, even in a walkable city, most people choose the comfort of Uber or Lyft,” he says. Keep in mind, it doesn’t have to be 100 continuous minutes — you can break it up throughout the day, says Shamie. “You could walk 30 minutes to work or school and 30 minutes back, and then do another 40 minutes when you’re exercising,” he says. ## Any Amount of Walking Is Good for Your Back Although 100 minutes of daily walking is a good goal, you don’t have to walk that much to strengthen your back and reduce your risk of lower back pain. “The dose-dependent association suggests that even small increases in daily walking are associated with lowered risk of chronic low back pain,” says Haddadj. Shamie agrees. “It’s not like you have to reach 100 minutes. That was the threshold for statistical significance in this study, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t see results for people who walked 60 or 70 minutes,” he says. ## Walking at Any Pace Helped Prevent Back Pain — and Just Standing Helps, Too The findings suggest that when it comes to reducing the risk of lower back pain, how much you walk each day is more important than how fast you walk. That’s an encouraging and important finding, because many people who already have lower back pain or who aren’t super fit may not be able to walk briskly, at least at first, says Shamie. Although it wasn’t looked at in this study, Shamie believes that just standing more — even without walking — can help reduce the risk of lower back pain. ## Bottom Line: Take a Walk to Keep Your Lower Back Healthy All three experts agree that a major upside of walking is that it’s accessible to most everyone — no fancy equipment required. If you do want to go a step further, use a device that can help you monitor your daily walking time and steps, which is available on most smartphones, says Dr. Darnall. “Walking 100 minutes per day is not feasible for everyone — certainly not every day — but interested people can set a goal to walk more each week,” she says. To get in more steps, Darnall recommends: - Walk with a family member, friend, or group to make it more fun and help with accountability. - Listen to podcasts or take a call while you walk. - If it’s an option, try a walking desk. - Be realistic when setting goals and remember that something is always better than nothing. EDITORIAL SOURCES Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our [editorial policy](https://www.everydayhealth.com/editorial-policies/). We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions. Sources Resources 1. Ferrerira ML et al. Global, Regional, and National Burden of Low Back Pain, 1990-2020, Its Attributable Risk Factors, and Projections to 2050: A Systematic Analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. [*The Lancet Rheumatology*](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10234592/). May 22, 2023. 2. Haddadj R et al. Volume and Intensity of Walking and Risk of Chronic Low Back Pain. [*JAMA Network Open*](http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.15592). June 13, 2025. Meet Our Experts [See Our Editorial Policy](https://www.everydayhealth.com/editorial-policies/) [Meet Our Health Expert Network](https://www.everydayhealth.com/health-expert-network/)   #### Tom Gavin ##### Fact-Checker Tom Gavin joined Everyday Health as copy chief in 2022 after a lengthy stint as a freelance copy editor. He has a bachelor's degree in psychology from College of the Holy Cross. Prior to working for Everyday Health, he wrote, edited, copy edited, and fact-checked for books, magazines, and digital content covering a range of topics, including women's health, lifestyle, recipes, restaurant reviews, travel, and more. His clients have included Frommer's, Time-Life, and Google, among others. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he likes to spend his time making music, fixing too-old electronics, and having fun with his family and the dog who has taken up residence in their home. [See full bio](https://www.everydayhealth.com/authors/tom-gavin/)   #### Becky Upham ##### Author Becky Upham has worked throughout the health and wellness world for over 25 years. She's been a race director, a team recruiter for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, a salesperson for a major pharmaceutical company, a blogger for Moogfest, a communications manager for Mission Health, a fitness instructor, and a health coach. Upham majored in English at the University of North Carolina and has a master's in English writing from Hollins University. Upham enjoys teaching cycling classes, running, reading fiction, and making playlists. [See full bio](https://www.everydayhealth.com/authors/becky-upham/) [See Our Editorial Policy](https://www.everydayhealth.com/editorial-policies/) [Meet Our Health Expert Network](https://www.everydayhealth.com/health-expert-network/)   Sign up for our Healthy Living Newsletter\! 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## Chair-Bound Lifestyles Make Back Pain More Common Lower back pain is so common because the lumbar (lower) spine works hard to support the body: It provides stability for the rest of the spine, serving as the attachment point for muscles and ligaments that allow for walking, running, sitting, lifting, and moving in all directions. The lumbar spine also supports most of the body’s weight and functions as the center of the body’s balance. In today’s world, sitting plays a big role in lower back pain, says [Nick Shamie, MD](https://www.uclahealth.org/providers/arya-shamie), a professor and spine surgeon at the UCLA School of Medicine in Santa Monica, California, who was not involved in the trial. “Chair designs are not the best, and a lot of people suffer from back pain because they’re behind their computer for hours and hours without the right support,” says Dr. Shamie. “When you are seated, you’re loading your discs and your lumbar spine. When you’re standing upright or walking, it increases your core strength because those muscles have to engage. So walking and even standing will help avoid some of the problems with chronic wear and tear that happens in the lower back,” Shamie says. ## Walking About 100 Minutes a Day Significantly Reduced Lower Back Pain The study, which used data from the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) in Norway, followed about 11,000 adults who were 55 on average with no history of lower back pain. At the start of the study, participants wore a device called an accelerometer for an average of six days to measure how much and how intensely they walked each day. People were placed into one of four groups, depending on the number of minutes they walked each day: - Less than 78 minutes - Between 78 and 100 minutes - Between 101 and 124 minutes - 125 or more minutes The subjects were also placed into one of three groups depending on the intensity or effort they put into walking: slow, moderate, or brisk. Researchers then followed all the participants for an average of four years, during which about 1,700 people developed back pain. After adjusting the findings for factors like age, sex, income, depression, and smoking, a data analysis revealed the following: - Compared with walking less than 78 minutes a day, people who walked at least 101 minutes per day lowered their risk of developing chronic lower back pain by 23 percent. - The sweet spot seemed to be around 100 to 125 minutes per day. More than that didn’t offer much additional protection. - Walking with greater intensity (measured by speed and effort) was tied to a lower risk of low back pain, but not as much as walking more minutes. - Benefits were especially noticeable in adults over 65. ## 100 Minutes Could Equal 10,000 Steps This research may help motivate people, especially Americans who are typically walking much less than [10,000 steps](https://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/the-last-word-do-you-really-need-to-take-10-000-steps-a-day/), says [Beth Darnall, PhD](https://profiles.stanford.edu/beth-darnall), a clinical pain psychologist and researcher at Stanford Health Care in California, who was not involved in the study. “Other studies have shown that walking improves overall health, and this study extends the benefits to back pain prevention,” she says. “Walking 100 minutes (or more) might sound hard to fit into your day, but that actually translates into about 10,000 to 12,000 steps, which may seem more doable for some people,” says Shamie. It may also help to channel your inner Norwegian. “When you look at how people live in Norway, even though it gets very cold there certain months of the year, I think people probably walk more than \[Americans\] do as part of their daily routine — walking to work or the grocery store, for example,” says Shamie. Unless they’re actively trying to exercise, most people in the United States don’t walk to work or the train station. “Nowadays, even in a walkable city, most people choose the comfort of Uber or Lyft,” he says. Keep in mind, it doesn’t have to be 100 continuous minutes — you can break it up throughout the day, says Shamie. “You could walk 30 minutes to work or school and 30 minutes back, and then do another 40 minutes when you’re exercising,” he says. ## Any Amount of Walking Is Good for Your Back Although 100 minutes of daily walking is a good goal, you don’t have to walk that much to strengthen your back and reduce your risk of lower back pain. “The dose-dependent association suggests that even small increases in daily walking are associated with lowered risk of chronic low back pain,” says Haddadj. Shamie agrees. “It’s not like you have to reach 100 minutes. That was the threshold for statistical significance in this study, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t see results for people who walked 60 or 70 minutes,” he says. ## Walking at Any Pace Helped Prevent Back Pain — and Just Standing Helps, Too The findings suggest that when it comes to reducing the risk of lower back pain, how much you walk each day is more important than how fast you walk. That’s an encouraging and important finding, because many people who already have lower back pain or who aren’t super fit may not be able to walk briskly, at least at first, says Shamie. Although it wasn’t looked at in this study, Shamie believes that just standing more — even without walking — can help reduce the risk of lower back pain. ## Bottom Line: Take a Walk to Keep Your Lower Back Healthy All three experts agree that a major upside of walking is that it’s accessible to most everyone — no fancy equipment required. If you do want to go a step further, use a device that can help you monitor your daily walking time and steps, which is available on most smartphones, says Dr. Darnall. “Walking 100 minutes per day is not feasible for everyone — certainly not every day — but interested people can set a goal to walk more each week,” she says. To get in more steps, Darnall recommends: - Walk with a family member, friend, or group to make it more fun and help with accountability. - Listen to podcasts or take a call while you walk. - If it’s an option, try a walking desk. - Be realistic when setting goals and remember that something is always better than nothing.