Lifting weights is a great way to increase your strength and build muscle mass. But you may not realize just how much stress it places on your body.
We break down why you might experience tailbone pain after lifting weights, how to treat it, and how to make sure it won't happen again.
Causes of Tailbone Pain From Weight Lifting
Symptoms of a Tailbone Injury From Weight Lifting
- Is either dull (achy) or sharp (piercing)
- Gets worse when you go from sitting to standing
- Occurs when you poop
- Occurs during sex
Treating Tailbone Pain From Weight Lifting
While no magic cure will have you back in the gym tomorrow, there are a few options for treatment.
Some low-impact yoga poses can help with tailbone pain. If you feel any discomfort when doing them, stop immediately.
1. Cat-Cow Pose
- Begin on your hands and knees. Inhale.
- Exhale as you round your back, pull your belly button toward your spine, and tuck your chin toward your chest (Cat pose).
- Starting at the tailbone, release one segment of your spine at a time, relaxing through the lumbar spine, thoracic spine (midback), and finally, your cervical spine as you lift your chin upward as far as you can flex(Cow pose).
- Then reverse the motion. Be aware of what segments feel stuck. Breathe into these spaces and remember to move slowly.
- Continue to move between the Cat and Cow poses for 15 to 30 seconds, letting your body move with your breath.
2. Child's Pose
- Kneel on a mat, with your knees approximately hip-width apart and the tops of your feet on the mat, then sit back on your heels.
- Inhale and elongate your spine. As you exhale, bow forward to fold over your knees and rest your forehead on the mat.
- Stretch your arms forward, with your palms facing down, and gently press your hips back and down onto the soles of your feet to stretch your lower back and outer hips. If this feels restrictive, widen your knees until you feel more comfortable. Alternatively, you can bring your knees closer together, even all the way together, if that position suits you better. Listen to your body and do what feels right!
- Rest here for about five cycles of breath.
3. Cobra Pose
- Lie face down with your legs extended behind you, feet hip-width apart (or slightly wider if your back is sensitive).
- Place your hands on the mat in line with your rib cage.
- Hug your elbows close to the sides of your body and press the tops of your feet down; your knees might lift away from the ground.
- Exhale to engage your abdominal muscles (low belly in and up) and lift your chest. Anchor your hips, pubic bone, and the tops of your feet into the ground to support the lift.
- Press into your hands gently and engage them toward your body to encourage your chest forward and your shoulders back.
- Lift and lengthen through the back of your neck and keep your gaze down and out. Keep your neck neutral.
- Breathe here for three to five breaths, or 15 to 30 seconds.
Preventing Tailbone Pain From Weight Lifting
If you're unsure how to do an exercise, talk it through with a professional and have them watch you to make sure you're doing it right.
It is important to use the recommended safety equipment when lifting to prevent all types of injury, not just to your tailbone. If you experience any discomfort in your coccyx or pelvis during lifts, stop lifting immediately to prevent injury.
The Takeaway
- Pain in your tailbone can be caused by weight lifting, among other activities.
- Treatment may include NSAID pain medications, rest, and yoga.
- Proper stretching and technique may help prevent weight lifting injuries. If you experience pain during weight lifting, stop immediately.
Resources We Trust
- Cleveland Clinic: Tailbone Pain (Coccydynia)
- Mayo Clinic: A Guide to Basic Stretches
- USA Weightlifting: Safety Measures in Weightlifting: Preventing Common Injuries
- National Institutes of Health: Back Pain
- Harvard Health Publishing: The Safe Way to Do Yoga for Back Pain
Reyna Franco, RDN
Medical Reviewer
Reyna Franco, RDN, is a New York City–based dietitian-nutritionist, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and certified personal trainer. She is a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Columbia University.
In her private practice, she provides medical nutrition therapy for weight management, sports nutrition, diabetes, cardiac disease, renal disease, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, food allergies, eating disorders, and childhood nutrition. To serve her diverse patients, she demonstrates cultural sensitivity and knowledge of customary food practices. She applies the tenets of lifestyle medicine to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve health outcomes for her patients.
Franco is also a corporate wellness consultant who conducts wellness counseling and seminars for organizations of every size. She taught sports nutrition to medical students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, taught life cycle nutrition and nutrition counseling to undergraduate students at LaGuardia Community College, and precepts nutrition students and interns. She created the sports nutrition rotation for the New York Distance Dietetic Internship program.
She is the chair of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist Member Interest Group. She is also the treasurer and secretary of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, having previously served in many other leadership roles for the organization, including as past president, awards committee chair, and grant committee chair, among others. She is active in the local Greater New York Dietetic Association and Long Island Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, too.
Jack Gerard
Author
Jack Gerard is a versatile freelance writer and editor with over a decade of experience. He has written both articles and poetry and contributes to multiple websites on practical topics that help readers with everyday concerns. He lives in Kentucky.