Back pain from running... whaaaa?

I am getting older and things like back pain and sore knees and ankles are just part of my life now and I presume they will continue to be for quite some time into the future. This doesn't mean that I am going to stop exercising though because I think that it is one of the most important aspects of a person's life.

I was a bit surprised to discover one day that as my runs got longer, I started to experience back pain from it all. I expected sore knees and joints but back pain?? This didn't make sense to me. So I did a little bit of research and found out that it is actually extremely common, which is good.

There are a ton of articles out there explaining about how if you just do this or that you will not get back pain from running but honestly, the over-correcting of posture (as is pointed out in the articles) can sometimes end up causing more back issues than the original problem.

For example, if someone is running hunched over like their day job is working at Notre Dame, yeah, they need to sort our their posture and run standing up straight. But the most common advice that you hear is push your shoulders back but I want you to try pushing your shoulders back in your chair right now and see if you can't feel that movement in your lower back... you are actually more likely to engage your lower back by using this method than if you didn't do it.

So what is the secret? I'm gonna go ahead and say that I am a normie and I do not know. From most of the articles I have read there doesn't seem to be a consensus on what is the "correct" way to run and that for the most part, running is supposed to be a "natural feeling" activity. Whether or not that statement means anything to you is kind of on the individual. Basically, it should feel like you aren't forcing any sort of particular posture but at the same time are not in an unusual position such as hunched over. Honestly, if you are running like that it is probably due to fatigue and you should just take a break because at that point you are supporting all of your upper body weight with your lower back and this is a a NO NO.

Basically, what I have discovered has worked for me is to stretch my back in the morning and after a run by doing some simple touch your toes stretches (good for overall flexibility anyway) and the dog yoga thing that maybe does something and maybe it doesn't. WTH do i know anyway? I'm a normie

I also have a big ice pack that i'll lay on when I am on the sofa after a run (shower first of course) and this all seems to help.

This back pain is more likely if you are overweight, which I hate to admit, but I have put a bit of weight back on and am working it off now, so that could be the case with me at the moment. Being a normie means that you'll have weight fluctuations but it is important to be able to identify them and make the necessary adjustments.

So the point of all this is that if you are running, back pain might seem like something you don't deserve but it is actually very common and you probably shouldn't worry about it so much and you honestly shouldn't stop running because of it. This of course doesn't refer to massive pain, if you are experiencing that it is time for a few days' rest and maybe a trip to the doctor.

I was just happy to discover that it wasn't anything I am doing wrong and if you are experiencing this, there is a good chance that you aren't doing anything wrong either.