Pain after going from being sedentary to active

Basilin
Basilin Posts: 360 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
This is quoted from another thread, but since it is a separate topic I am making a new thread.
JustSomeEm wrote: »
When I first picked running back up, I ached quite a bit. I'd gone from being mostly sedentary to suddenly asking my body to do things it hadn't done in years. My knees ached, my hips ached, my ankles ached, my calves ached. I had aches in places I didn't realize were part of me! Once I'd gotten my body used to the activity that went away. Now, if I run a distance I haven't in a while, my body aches a bit, but after a day or so I'm back to normal.

I have gone from walking around 2,000 steps a day to a goal of 6,000, and have walked around 4 - 5 miles per day almost every day for the last week. My job also requires a lot of standing through the day. I noticed I am getting lower back pain almost every day I walk that much. I had to sleep with a hot pack one night because the pain kept waking me up. I am only about 15 - 20 lbs overweight and I am generally healthy at 30 yrs old. Is this a problem with my posture? Will it go away after a while if I get used to walking? Has this happened to anyone else? Trying to get some more info before deciding what kind of adjustments I might need to make. Thanks everyone!

Replies

  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
    edited September 2016
    You have more than doubled your activity/steps in a short period of time. So you cannot be surprised to experience aches and pains. If this goes on for more than a few months, then I would get checked out by a doctor. Even runners don't double their activity. They increase by 10% weekly.

    Not to mention, even being slightly overweight adds a lot of stress on joints. Give it time, then you can start to question and get it checked out.

    Edit to add: is it possible to get more movement in at your job while standing? I am on my feet all day as well, but I find to experience pain if I stay in one spot for an extended period of time.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    edited September 2016
    Agree with vespiquenn. You have probably gone into it a bit too fast. Take a step back and increase your steps and pace more slowly.
    If you have weak abs and poor posture this too could be causing the lower back pain. Look up the stomach vacuum and have a read of the article below. They may help.

    http://sortyourpostureout.com/what-is-my-core-abdominal-bracing-vs-tva/

    Cheers, h.

    Edit: forgot to mention footwear. If you are into walking, and not doing a C25k programme, it is well worth the money to be assessed and fitted for walking shoes, NOT running shoes. Walking shoes are made with a narrower rounded heal to suit the lower impact rolling motion of walking rather than the wide heel for high impact running. A good cross trainer will do at a pinch. h.

    2nd edit. Hahahaha. If your lower back starts to tighten while walking stop and do a few squats. It will relieve the tension. h.
  • scgirlincolorado
    scgirlincolorado Posts: 11 Member
    I am experiencing the same issues -- didn't realize I was going so extreme just trying to walk for 30 minutes. My back aches during and after the walk, so I usually take some ibuprofen before I go.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    4-5 miles for the past 6-7 days straight? And you have gone from a normal 2000 steps to 6000 in addition to the walking?

    Yes you are gonna be hurting. Weak muscles, weak tendons, ligaments etc.. and extra pressure on your back from weak abs.. This all adds up to aches and pains from doing way too much too fast to soon.

    Get some needed rest and then restart fresh.. do those walks every other day or two or cut back on the mileage each day. If standing for long periods of time at work, take 5 minutes out of each hour to walk around and loosen up. Work up to distance, not go all out the first week. I would be hurting too if I did this.
  • Basilin
    Basilin Posts: 360 Member
    vespiquenn wrote: »
    Edit to add: is it possible to get more movement in at your job while standing? I am on my feet all day as well, but I find to experience pain if I stay in one spot for an extended period of time.

    Not really. I stand at a bench and sometimes don't move for 45 minutes. When another person covers for me, they tell me it is hard on their back as well. I have a mat to make it more comfortable but that is about it. However...
    middlehaitch wrote: »
    If you have weak abs and poor posture this too could be causing the lower back pain. Look up the stomach vacuum and have a read of the article below. They may help.

    http://sortyourpostureout.com/what-is-my-core-abdominal-bracing-vs-tva/

    Cheers, h.

    Edit: forgot to mention footwear. If you are into walking, and not doing a C25k programme, it is well worth the money to be assessed and fitted for walking shoes, NOT running shoes. Walking shoes are made with a narrower rounded heal to suit the lower impact rolling motion of walking rather than the wide heel for high impact running. A good cross trainer will do at a pinch. h.

    2nd edit. Hahahaha. If your lower back starts to tighten while walking stop and do a few squats. It will relieve the tension. h.

    Thanks for the link! I read a few articles and I will be reading more. I think core strength does have a lot to do with it. I have awful balance as well. Getting better shoes and doing squats (properly) are great ideas, too. Narrower shoes help a lot with the feets in my experience.
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    4-5 miles for the past 6-7 days straight? And you have gone from a normal 2000 steps to 6000 in addition to the walking?

    Yes you are gonna be hurting. Weak muscles, weak tendons, ligaments etc.. and extra pressure on your back from weak abs.. This all adds up to aches and pains from doing way too much too fast to soon.

    Get some needed rest and then restart fresh.. do those walks every other day or two or cut back on the mileage each day.

    Not in addition to normal walking. 4 - 5 miles total: I go on a 3 - 4 mile walk, and the rest comes from day to day, sporadic walking around. I thought walking more would be an easy way to start being more active, but seems it is revealing how weak my muscles are. I will try the bracing techniques at the posture website and see if that helps.

    Maybe it seems drastic, but the reason I am walking so much at once is because it is addictive. ☺️ Despite the back pain...

    Thanks for all your comments!

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