Replacing Running Due to Back Pain

[Missodin]

Hi everyone

I'm 51 and for the past 6 or 7 years I have been running twice a week and strength training 3 times a week. I love running. I'm not brilliant at it but usually manage 5 km in around 30 minutes. Increasingly I am noticing that I have lower back pain after I run. Sometimes I feel a jarring while I am running. A few times it has fully 'gone' and led to 3 or 4 days not being able to move at all.

I wear good trainers, stretch and have done lots of Pilates but nothing seems to help. If I run very slowly it hurts less but then I don't feel the cardio benefits.

I'm wondering if I should accept that I'm older and move to something like the Stairmaster for cardio. It would be a shame as it would involve traveling to the gym on extra days and I would miss the fresh air but I do want to maintain cardio a couple of times a week.

Does anyone have any advice? Does a Stairmaster burn as many calories as running?

Thanks

I wouldn’t swap running for the stairmaster if your concern is impact on your back, something like cycling or swimming would be better.

Hi, thanks for replying but cycling is worse for my back than anything. I hadn't realised that the stairmaster was also risky!

Might be worth having a couple of sessions with a sports physio if you haven’t already. To have a gait analysis, and any other advice they could offer.

Agree to suggestion of seeing a physio. They may suggest some exercises to build more strength to prevent the pain. Having said that I gave up running years ago due to hip and back pain, and moved to a rowing machine which I find much easier on the joints.

Agree that it’s worth checking out with a physio what’s causing the pain. I’ve had a few lower back issues, saw a physio and now know the stretches I need to do to ease my back when it starts to twinge

You said you stretch, but I had similar lower back pain when and after running which has been completely cured by regularly doing the half pigeon yoga pose. My pain was all in my sacroiliac joint and caused by absorbing the impact of running and this particular stretch sorts it out, total game changer.

Do you train glutes/hips in your strength training program? If not, this would probably help. Do you spend a lot of time sat down in your job?