Treadmill Giving You Back Pain? This Might Be Why

There are many treatments for back pain, including physical therapy, medications, and lifestyle modifications like increasing movement. Walking on a treadmill is one popular way to increase movement.

But, frustratingly, the treadmill can also cause or exacerbate back pain. Here are a few reasons why and tips for what you can do about it.

Causes of Back Pain on the Treadmill

Even though you can’t change the mechanics of this popular machine, understanding and addressing posture and muscle weakness may reduce the likelihood of fatigue or strain.

Posture

“What happens is the force from gravity can’t be attenuated the same way,” says Natalie Niemczyk, DPT. “The spine is designed so that it can attenuate the force appropriately that you don’t even notice.”

Poor posture, especially rounded shoulders, causes a lot of that force to be applied on the low back.

Correcting for “good” posture can be hard. Be patient and expect that it will take time to fix the issue.

“The biggest advice I always give is that it’s better to be conservative and start slow, and then introduce some of those little tweaks that might help your natural posture,” Dr. Niemczyk says.

Here are some of those little adjustments to think about while on the treadmill:

• Keep a neutral gaze ahead of you and a neutral spine.
• Hold your shoulders slightly back, while keeping your arms loose.
• If you are running or walking on an incline, you’ll want to lean forward about 10 degrees in your trunk.

“It’s normal to lean forward as you walk uphill or up an incline, but too much may indicate it’s too steep or you are going too quickly,” says Ben Fung, DPT.

Weakness in Stabilizing Muscles

Having certain weaknesses in stabilizing muscles like the core and the posterior chain (the muscles that make up your backside like the low back, gluteals and hamstrings) can lead to fatigue, which can affect your posture.

As mentioned above, in order to walk on the moving belt of the treadmill, your body also has to work slightly differently than if you were propelling yourself forward on stationary ground. It requires more work from the hip flexors, in particular, according to Lauren Shroyer, MS, certified athletic trainer and vice president of product and innovation for the American Council of Exercise.

“The hip flexor muscles are the muscles that will lift your leg up from behind and pull it back forward, so that you can step your foot down again,” she says.

That movement only compounded when you are walking on a steep incline (anything above a 5 on the treadmill). “We don’t tend to have that kind of strength in the hip flexor,” Shroyer says.

Ways to Quickly Reduce Back Pain on the Treadmill

If posture and muscle strength are the main reasons you’re experiencing back pain, then working on improving both on and off the treadmill will be helpful, and we will explore ways to do so in the section below.

However, as is the case with all training, you won’t feel those results immediately. Here are a few ways you can potentially reduce back pain in the meantime:

Lower the Intensity

If you’re starting to feel sore in your lower or upper back when on the treadmill, it may be a sign that you’re doing too much. Try lowering the incline, slowing down the speed, or cutting the frequency or the amount of time you spend on the treadmill.

Holding onto the treadmill will also force you out of that neutral posture, so slowing down or lowering the incline to a setting that allows you to you safely let go and let your arms swing will help to lengthen the curve of your upper back.

Diversify Your Workout

“With many things, balance is key,” Dr. Fung says. In order to mitigate back pain that can occur while walking on a treadmill, he recommends diversifying your workout routine. “The spine doesn’t appreciate extreme or repetitive loads,” Fung says, which is why sitting for long periods of time can also aggravate your back.

Exercises to Improve Posture and Strength

After you’ve made immediate adjustments to your treadmill workout, such as lowering the intensity to match your fitness level, you can focus on the longer-term goal of improving your posture and strength.

The following exercises come from tips from both Shroyer and Niemczyk, with a focus on improving posture and building strength in the core, hips, and upper back.

Stationary March

What It’s Good For: Hip flexor strength

1. Stand with your legs shoulder-distance apart and a neutral spine.
2. Lift your right knee into a marching position. Lower it back down.
3. Repeat with your left knee.
4. Be sure not to arch your back when you lift your legs. Repeat 15 times on each side.

To make this move more challenging, you can add ankle weights or a resistance band. To use a resistance band, step onto the bottom of the loop so that one side of the band rests on top of your foot, pulling the band as you raise one leg or the other.

Scapular Push-Up

What It’s Good For: Core and shoulder strength

1. Get into a high plank with your wrists stacked underneath your shoulders.
2. Unlike a regular push-up, you’re going to keep your arms straight the entire time as you drop your ribs and chest down and pinch your shoulder blades together at the bottom.
3. Raise your spine toward the ceiling while pushing through the muscles under your shoulder blades (serratus anterior), keeping the shoulders away from your ears.
4. Repeat 8 times.

If holding a plank is too much, you can do this exercise from a wall push-up position or with your hands on a countertop.

Bird Dog

What It’s Good For: Core strength

1. Get into a tabletop position, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
2. Tighten your core. Reach your left arm straight out in front of you while simultaneously extending your right leg behind you. Pause for a moment before returning your hand and knee to the ground.
3. Repeat 5 times, then switch sides for 5 more.

Glute Bridge

What It’s Good For: Hip extensors and core strength

1. Lie flat on the ground with your arms at your side. Bend your knees while keeping your feet hip-distance apart on the ground.
2. Tighten your core. Drive your hips into the air while keeping your shoulders planted on the ground. Hold for a few seconds while engaging your glutes. Then slowly lower back down to the ground.
3. Repeat 10 times.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Bent-Over Rows

What It’s Good For: Upper-back strength

1. Hold a medium-weight dumbbell in your left hand.
2. Keeping your left foot firmly planted on the floor, place your right knee on a bench in a kneeling position. Hold onto the bench with your right hand. Keep your back flat and your left arm extended toward the floor.
3. Pull the dumbbell up in a rowing motion to rib height, focusing on using your back for the motion. Lower your arm back down toward the floor.
4. Repeat 6 times.
5. Switch sides and do 6 more repetitions.

The rowing motion can be completed in a variety of ways, depending on the equipment you have available. Rowing machines, barbells, and dumbbells can all be used to work the muscles in your upper back.

When to See a Physical Therapist

Dr. Shroyer likes to see people feeling better after a workout than when they began it. If that isn’t the case, and you’re experiencing more pain after exercise, it might be time to see a physical therapist.

“If you’re leaving your workout and your back hurts, or the next day your back hurts more than it did the day before, that’s a very strong indicator that you need the support of a professional to really understand how to adapt your exercise so that you’re not doing further damage.”

The Takeaway

• Back pain on a treadmill often comes from poor posture and weak core and stabilizing muscles.
• To decrease back pain, reduce intensity (speed, incline) and avoid holding rails. Also add varied exercises to your routine.
• If back pain continues or worsens, consult a physical therapist for personalized guidance.