I have back pain: is walking good for me?
It seems like a no-brainer, perhaps because we do it all the time, all day long, but the action of walking is a real physical activity and in some cases it is essential for our health. Let’s find out when and why it is useful to walk, especially when we are coming from a period with back pain.
We walk all day
It is something we often overlook, but walking is one of our main activities throughout the day. We move from room to room, we walk to work (for some stretches, at least), we walk when we walk past shop windows, when we meet a friend and take a walk with him. We walk and we take it for granted. But this is not so, because we are talking about a real physical activity (a real exercise) and as such it can help us in many situations.
The most immediate effects (even if we have no direct evidence of it) of walking are those of improved blood circulation, better breathing and toning of a large part of the muscles. All this also has a marked effect on our mood, reducing stress.
I have back pain: is walking good for me?
Obviously we must make an important specification: we are talking about back pain that does not result from complications of mechanical origin, that back pain, such as lumbago, which resolves spontaneously within a few days. There are many scientific studies in this regard and they all point in the same direction: walking is good for you. It is no coincidence that the family doctor himself often recommends walking as much as possible. But this is advice we get from various specialists, such as a physiotherapist or a personal trainer. Walking is good for our back, in short. Let us look at the most important reasons:
- The first reason is simple and may not seem very obvious: movement. Our body needs to move and walking is essential. Have you noticed that staying in bed too long often causes us to get up in pain?
- By walking we keep our back and abdominal belt muscles active. A toning job that can be likened to wearing a girdle, but… completely natural.
- We significantly reduce stress, even if we don’t realise it.
- Walking is to all intents and purposes a workout.
How should I walk?
We hear it a lot: brisk walking. And we say it again: walk briskly (as far as possible), also helping ourselves by swinging our arms (so as to activate as many muscles as possible). After all, walking in any other way than suggested (slowly and heavily) does not help those who have (or have had) back pain. It is not necessary to walk long distances, even a little less than half an hour a day may suffice, but it is important to be regular and to try to walk in a natural way, without exerting oneself, according to one’s body’s needs, without going into respiratory distress.
Walking, but not only!
Obviously, the advice to walk as much as possible is excellent and should be heeded, but walking alone cannot solve all our problems. For a perfectly fit physique, able to withstand and support all the activities we do during the day, it is necessary to strengthen the muscles with a little more attention. We are talking about small exercises that we can do at home, with simplicity, but that will allow us to tone our bodies and help us in complex everyday activities: lifting weights, moving objects, picking up our children, playing with the dog, and so on.
But the most important thing is never to underestimate a pain, especially when it persists and does not seem to want to pass. The best advice is always to visit a specialist. Never underestimate our body’s signals. It is our health, we must take great care of it.
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