Hi,

I am new. I recently (October) started exercising after a long period of no exercise. I was running on the treadmill starting with about 15 minutes about twice a week to 30 mins. every other day. At the end of Nov. I was lying down sideways on a sofa that's terribly designed to lie down on and got up in pain on the opposite side of my lower back (not the side I was lying on.) My chiropractor doesn't recommend running as an exercise but I find running the most convenient other than having caused stress to my lower back.

Any advice would be appreciated. I have to admit I was hardly doing any warm up or warming down.

Tia

Good shoes would help. I do not know how heavy you are but when I started running at 220lbs I found shoes for heavy set runners really helped any back and knee pain I was having.

I had bought Sketchers running shoes. I am 150 lbs and am 5ft tall.

With certain back conditions, particularly mechanical imbalances and degenerative disc disease, running is not an option. It's too high impact. Swimming and walking are usually fine.

I cannot speak to the quality of Sketchers but my physical therapist took my sneakers and folded them in half with the sole out and the toe touching the heel box. He said if you can do that with a shoe easily it provides no support to your foot. I picked up a pair of the Dr. Scholl hard orthotics (the ones where you step on the pressure thing at the store) and after an adjustment period I've come to appreciate them.

I have spinal defects I was born with, long list of stuff, I couldn't run when I was 13 from the pain that would start in my hips/lower back, forget now. I've come to accept that there were certain things I cannot do and never will be able to do. But by golly I used to be a walking fool ... well, until the arthritis in my knees started limiting that ...

if you want to run, invest in a GOOD pair of shoes...well worth the money!!

if you are limited on running but love it, like i do, try the adaptive motion trainer...it's similar to an elliptical but it gives me the feeling of long running strides rather than just spinning around on an elliptical

i switched over because running was beginning to bother my ankle wayyy too much and i've found that i can get an even harder workout on the adaptive motion trainer because i don't have to pause for breathe as much as running (due to asthma)

I totally agree with what's been said about good shoes. Let me add that it's important that they're not only good shoes, but the right shoes in the right size for you and your biomechanics.

I started off in Asics, which are great shoes. The issue wasn't that the Asics weren't good shoes, it's that they weren't suited to my wide feet, high arches, and underpronation. What made things worse was that I ordered them off the internet. In the size I wear in regular shoes. Without having my feet measured at the end of the day. One week before a race.

D'oh!

Many podiatrists visits and a pair of $400 orthotics later, I've learned the value of specialty running stores and why people pay $150 for the right pair of running shoes. I got the right shoes for me now and I'm running pain free.

My advice would be: Go to a specialty running store ( not Foot Locker or Dick's ) after you've on your feet all day. Bring your old pair so they can examine the wear pattern. Give yourself plenty of time so you can try on several pairs. Don't be surprised if they tell you to get a 1/2 to a whole size bigger than you normally wear. Take them for a test run around the parking lot. Good stores will let you bring them back ( within a certain time frame ) if they make you hurt when you run.

Something else to consider when you have running related pain is where you might have weak muscles. Anytime one muscle in the chain is weak, another has to take up the slack. Strengthening your abs and glutes usually helps take stress off your back.

Hope this helps!

Thank you all. I will be looking into all the valuable suggestions.

If you run do you warm up? Forgot to ask.

I walk to warm up. 5 or 10 minutes, then a really slow jog. I don't stretch beforehand, but I do afterwards.

Thanks