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Less back pain through more exercise: Norwegian study reveals secret!
A Norwegian study shows that daily walking reduces back pain. New insights into health.
Less back pain through more exercise: Norwegian study reveals secret!
A current, comprehensive study from Norway sheds light on how daily walking can be an effective protection against chronic back pain. According to [zvw.de](https://www.zvw.de/mehr-nachrichten/wissen/norwegische-langzeitstudie-mehr-gehen-weniger- Pain-im-r%C3%BCcken_arid-966593), the long-term study, which was published in the renowned journal “JAMA Network Open”, presented exciting results. Researchers have found that people who walk more than 100 minutes a day have a 23 percent lower risk of suffering from chronic back pain compared to people who are active for less than 78 minutes a day.
The study is based on the HUNT health survey, a large-scale survey with tens of thousands of participants that was conducted over several years. Over 11,000 adults wore motion sensors to precisely record their walking activity. The HUNT research was repeated between 2021 and 2023 to allow accurate comparisons to be made. A strong result: 15 percent of participants reported persistent back pain in the four years after the first survey.
The importance of walking quantity
What is particularly interesting is the finding that it is not the speed but the quantity of walking that is crucial for back health. This corresponds to the assessments of Bernd Kladny, the deputy secretary general of the German Society for Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, who supports the use of pedometers to measure activity. These findings are significant not only for Norway, but also for Germany, where, according to [RKI](https://www.zvw.de/mehr-nachrichten/wissen/norwegische-langzeitstudie-mehr-gehen-weniger- Pain-im-r%C3%BCcken_arid-966593), around 61 percent of respondents in a 2021 survey suffered from back pain. Chronic back pain was diagnosed in 15.5 percent of those surveyed.
It is important to note that the study also has limitations, such as the one-time assessment of walking activity and the observational nature of the study, which cannot demonstrate clear cause-and-effect relationships. Nevertheless, the role of everyday exercise in the fight against back pain is becoming increasingly clear.
Global perspectives
In a broader context looking at other regions, a publication on health research issues in rural and remote areas of Australia addresses similar issues. The Medical Journal of Australia reported on how access to information and health services in such areas can be improved in a study published in December 2020 (Vol. 213, Supplement 11, pages S3-S32.e1). These approaches could also be important in terms of back health and promoting exercise.
The combination of a Norwegian long-term study and international research approaches shows that we would all do well to walk more. So, lace up your shoes and explore your surroundings – for a pain-free life!