Walking is good for your health, but it can also protect you from disability in the future, according to a new study reported by KSL.

Walking 100 minutes a day is associated with a 23% lower risk of chronic lower back pain, according to a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

"This is an important finding because walking is a simple, inexpensive, and accessible activity that can be widely promoted to reduce the burden of lower back pain," lead author Rayane Haddadj, a doctoral student in the Department of Public Health and Nursing at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, said in an email.

About 600 million people worldwide suffer from lower back pain, which is considered a major cause of disability, said physical therapist Dr. Natasha Pocovi, a postdoctoral fellow in health sciences at Macquarie University in Sydney. She was not involved in the study.

By 2050, the number of people with chronic lower back pain is expected to rise to 843 million, according to the World Health Organization.

Yet prevention of lower back pain is often overlooked in research and clinical practice, Pocovi added.

The results of this latest study show that physical activity can be used for prevention. Pocovi said the study “suggests that we don't need to complicate our exercise program to protect ourselves from chronic lower back pain.”

More steps, less pain
To investigate the link between walking and back pain prevention, the research team analyzed data from over 11,000 participants aged 20 and older from the Trøndelag Health (HUNT) study in Norway.

Between 2017 and 2019, HUNT researchers asked study participants to wear accelerometers for seven days to track their walking patterns. The HUNT team then followed up between 2021 and 2023 and asked participants if they had experienced back pain, according to the new study.

People were divided into four groups: those who walked less than 78 minutes a day, 78 to 100 minutes, 101 to 124 minutes, and more than 125 minutes.

The results showed that as the amount of walking per day increased, the risk of chronic lower back pain decreased, and preliminary data suggest that moderate or brisk walking is more protective than slow walking, according to Pocovi.

There are reasons to believe the study's results, including the large sample size and the use of accelerometers rather than self-reported physical activity by participants, she added.

However, the walking data was collected over only one week, which may not reflect people's patterns over a month or a year, Pocovi said.

The study is also observational, meaning that while it shows links, the researchers cannot say for sure that walking caused the reduced risk of lower back pain.

More walking
Lower back pain is not only a leading cause of disability, but it's also expensive. According to a study from April 2024, people spend an average of more than $30,000 on back pain-related expenses within five years of their first diagnosis.

Simple and inexpensive changes that prevent chronic lower back pain can make a big difference, Haddadj said.

The study did not determine whether walking 100 minutes at a time had a greater, lesser or the same effect as accumulating the same amount of time in shorter intervals, Pocovi said.

But in most cases, unless there is an underlying condition, any walking is better than no walking, Pocovi said.

“Start with short walks, planning specific routes or finding small ways to incorporate a short walk into your daily routine,” she advised.

She likes to use the stairs instead of the elevator or walk to a coffee shop that is a little farther from her home, Pocovi said.

“The key is to gradually increase your walking in a sustainable and enjoyable way,” she wrote in an email. “It can also be helpful to have a friend, partner, or colleague accompany you on your walks to keep you motivated and accountable.” |BGNES