For many tactical athletes, running isn’t optional—it’s part of the job. But too often, it leaves service members and first responders battling low back pain that sidelines training and chips away at readiness. The truth is, running shouldn’t hurt.
Low back pain from running usually comes down to a handful of preventable factors: poor warm-up, inefficient form, weak stabilizers, and overlooked recovery. The good news? With the right approach, you can protect your spine, improve your performance, and log your miles pain-free.
Here are seven strategies to reduce running-related low back pain and keep you strong, resilient, and mission-ready.
1. Warm-Up Effectively
- Dynamic Stretches: Include exercises like leg swings, high knees, and quad pulls to prepare your muscles for movement and increase your body temperature.
- Core Activation: Perform planks or bridges to engage and activate your core before running.
- Self-Massage: Don’t underestimate the power of self-massage using a foam roller, lacrosse ball, or massage stick prior to running! Focus on rolling-out or massaging any soft tissue stiffness in the calves, quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
2. Focus on Optimal Running Form
- Posture: Keep your gaze forward, shoulders relaxed, and a slight forward lean stemming from the ankles. Remember: running is a controlled forward “fall”.
- Land Softly: You want to spend as little time on the ground while running as possible. This helps reduce injury risk and unwanted forces being shunted up to your low back that can cause pain. To do so, think about “running softly” – or landing softly with each step.
- Foot Strike: Aim for a midfoot strike to reduce the impact on your spine. Increasing your running cadence will often help with this while also minimizing overstriding.
3. Strengthen Key Muscles
- Core Muscles: Incorporate exercises like bird dogs, planks (prone and side-planks), and exercises that challenge rotation of the core to enhance stability.
- Posterior-Chain: Perform deadlifts, barbell hip thrusts, and split squats to build resilience in your low back and legs. Incorporate unilateral (single leg) strength training as well, since much of running involves landing on and pushing off of a single leg!
4. Address Muscle Imbalances
- Flexibility: Stretch tight hip flexors, hamstrings, and calves regularly. Once flexibility is improved, remember to strengthen these muscles!
- Mobility: Use foam rolling and mobility drills to improve the range-of-motion in your hips and thoracic spine. Use dynamic stretches to help mobilize and loosen up your low back, especially post-run.
- Balance: Incorporate unilateral exercises, such as single-leg Romanian deadlifts or step-ups, to address asymmetries in strength and stability.
5. Gradually Increase Training Volume
- Avoid Overtraining: Follow the 10% rule, increasing mileage by no more than 10% per week
- Rest and Recovery: Schedule rest days and cross-training to prevent overuse injuries.
- Listen to Your Body: Reduce intensity or mileage if you experience discomfort or fatigue.
6. Choose the Right Footwear:
- Get a Professional Fit: Visit a specialty store to find running shoes that match your foot/ankle anatomy, running gait mechanics, and comfort preference.
- Replace Worn-Out Shoes: Running shoes typically last 300-500 miles; replace them when they lose cushioning or support.
- Consider Orthotics: Custom or off-the-shelf inserts may help address biomechanical issues contributing to low back pain. This should be considered in conjunction with the shoe you run in. VIsit a running specialty store or consult with podiatry, physical therapy, your athletic trainer, or similar specialist.
7. Cool Down and Stretch
- Post-Run Stretching: Focus on the hips, hamstrings, and lower back to promote optimal recovery
- Active Recovery: Light walking, cycling, or yoga can help reduce joint muscle stiffness significantly.
Running with low back pain doesn’t have to be your norm. By prioritizing warm-ups, dialing in your form, strengthening your core and posterior chain, and recovering well, you’ll set yourself up for stronger runs—and a more resilient back.
Remember, pain that persists isn’t just an annoyance—it’s your body signaling that something needs attention.
