Lower back pain feels like an unofficial milestone of adulthood. After a certain age, it seems just about everyone’s got some. While the severity might range from annoying for some to debilitating for others, eight out of 10 people will deal with back pain at some point in their lives.

If you’re part of that group, first, we’re sorry to welcome you into this club no one wants to be a part of. Second, you’re probably curious about simple tactics to try to ease some of that discomfort. One question in particular that comes to mind for a lot of folks: Is walking good for lower back pain? 

The good news is it definitely can be. The less good news is that it might not help everyone, and walking isn’t necessarily a lifelong cure or prevention tool to eliminate all back pain.

Below, find out when walking can be a simple way to stay active when you have lower back pain, how it can alleviate some of your symptoms, and how to get started if you’re new to walking workouts.

Is Walking Good for Lower Back Pain?

Yes, walking can be good for lower back pain in many situations. “Walking is one of my go-to recommendations for people with lower back pain,” says Pamela Mehta, MD, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and founder of Resilience Orthopedics. “Walking is one of the simplest tools we have for back health. You don’t need any fancy equipment, and … even 20–30 minutes a day can help your spine stay strong, flexible, and pain-free,” she says.

In a large 2025 JAMA study of more than 11,000 people, walkers were less likely to have lower back pain, especially if they logged more than 100 minutes a day of walking. The research also suggests that how much time you spend walking matters more for lower back pain than how quickly you move.

That said, there are certain times when walking may not help. That’s often the case with structural issues such as a herniated disc or spinal stenosis, Dr. Mehta says. 

“If it’s pretty minor low back pain, then walking typically is going to be helpful, but if you have more neurological symptoms or rapid onset of symptoms, that’s when you can’t really walk it off,” adds Sean Carpenter, a physical therapist at Memorial Hermann Health System. (We’ll go into more detail about when walking might not help below.)

How Walking Can Ease Your Lower Back Pain

So how can more strolls translate into less back achiness? In many cases, we need more research to fully understand how walking directly benefits lower back pain, but we do know it’s generally a safe approach to try in the meantime. Let’s take a closer look.

1. Walking Builds Muscle Strength

Walking helps build strength in the muscles in your core and legs, even in older adults, who may have an even higher risk of lower back pain. For example, in one small 2024 Scientific Reports study, women in their 80s who participated in a 12-week brisk-walking program had greater muscle strength in their legs at the end of the trial period. And those strength gains in turn keep your spine stable and aligned, warding off pain, Dr. Mehta says. 

Granted, walking doesn’t build as much muscle strength as a targeted weight lifting routine, but it can help, especially if you focus on incline walking, climbing stairs, and picking up the pace. 

2. It Improves Flexibility

A regular walking routine can help you improve your hip and back flexibility, leading to less lower back pain over time, Dr. Mehta says. She finds it to be a gentler entry point into flexibility work than going straight for yoga or stretching if you’re not yet used to those types of movement patterns.

The same Scientific Reports study also showed greater flexibility among the older women walkers, although other research suggests more studies are needed to confirm this effect.

3. It Boosts Blood Flow

Walking gets your heart pumping, which means greater blood flow throughout all of your muscles, including the ones surrounding your spine that could be causing pain. More blood circulating through those muscles “helps to promote tissue repair and healing,” Dr. Mehta says.

4. It Reduces Inflammation

Over time, regular exercise—including walking—may reduce chronic inflammation all over your body. If chronic inflammation is contributing to joint pain or stiffness in your back, lowering it may eventually bring some relief. 

5. It Improves Balance and Posture

As long as you don’t have muscle weakness that causes you to limp when you walk, a walking routine can help you build the strength it takes to maintain balance and posture, Carpenter says, which could lessen back pain over time. However, it’s worth noting research on walking for balance has been mixed, and more studies are needed to confirm this effect.

Tips for Walking with Back Pain

If that all sounds pretty encouraging, you might be eager to start walking to help ease lower back pain. But there are some important tips to keep in mind to make it effective:

WhenWouldn’t Walking Help Lower Back Pain?

Walking is generally a safe form of physical activity for many people to try. But there may be some causes of lower back pain that don’t respond as well to walking as others.

For example, walking may be harder and more painful with certain structural issues, such as herniated discs and spinal stenosis, and people with these conditions may not benefit as much from walking, Dr. Mehta says.

Other times, you need some additional lower back pain treatment techniques, in addition to physical activity, to really notice a difference in your symptoms. For example, heat and/or ice, stretching, physical therapy, and/or anti-inflammatory pain medications may all help, Dr. Mehta says. (Talk to your healthcare provider about what methods might be right for you.)

Being mindful of your posture is a good idea too. “Whether you’re sitting at your desk or on your bike, keep your shoulders back, your core engaged, and avoid slouching,” Dr. Mehta says. Spending too much time in a slouched position can overstretch and strain parts of your back, contributing to lower back pain, according to UCLA Health.

When to Talk to Your Healthcare Provider About Lower Back Pain

Even if you do find some relief from walking, you might still benefit from some professional support, especially if your back pain is severe, gets worse, or lasts longer than a few days, Dr. Mehta says. Plus, it’s always a good idea to talk to a doctor before starting a walking routine or any other new exercise plan if you’re not used to working out.

Sometimes lower back pain could be a sign something more serious is wrong too. If you have any of the following symptoms alongside your lower back pain, see a healthcare professional as soon as possible, according to Dr. Mehta, Carpenter, and the Cleveland Clinic:

The Takeaway

A majority of people will experience lower back pain in their lives, and walking is a simple way to keep moving and ease some of that discomfort. Walking helps build muscle strength and possibly flexibility to decrease pain. It also lowers inflammation and boosts blood flow, which may provide relief too.

Walking is generally safe for many people with lower back pain to try, but it’s always a good idea to get cleared by a healthcare provider first. If you do start walking for lower back pain, begin with short, slow strolls and gradually build up to longer, faster walks over time. Make sure you’re wearing comfortable, supportive shoes and walking with proper posture too. 

If walking makes your back pain feel worse or you also have numbness, tingling, fever, or loss of bowel or bladder control, talk to a healthcare professional as soon as you can, as these may be signs something more serious than minor lower back pain is going on.