Rollerblading is a fun and effective aerobic exercise, but lower back pain can be a frustrating side effect.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the common causes of lower back discomfort from rollerblading and actionable solutions to help prevent and treat it.
Why Does My Lower Back Hurt When Rollerblading?
Lower back hurts when rollerblading because of poor skating posture, lower back muscles yet to adapt to rollerblading, over-stretching your rollerblading limit, or lower back medical conditions. These lower back problems aren’t permanent, so it’s easy to fix them by following the right recommendations.
In the rest of this post, we’ll examine each course in detail to better understand how it comes about.
Then later, look at the various solutions. You don’t want to miss out on this! So, let’s get to it!
1. Poor Skating Posture, Technique, and Body Position
Poor posture, body position, and posture can cause your lower back to hurt when rollerblading.
A hunched posture strains the lower back, excessive arching overstretches lower back muscles, and twisting the spine and core leads to muscle tightness.
Long or jarring strides jar the lower back. Abrupt motions strain lower back muscles. And Not bending knees enough overworks lower back.
So, what’s the correct skating posture? By all means, you want to ensure you’re properly bending with your knees above your toes, shoulders over the hips, and your back slightly arched. This is the correct rollerblading posture.
Many beginner skaters ignore this important starting point, leading to immeasurable lower back discomfort when starting to skate.
Why is this so important, you ask? The correct rollerblading posture gives your body the required ergonomics and comfort in the lower back.
In addition, staying low helps to transfer your lower back and body weight to the toe balls. This frees up your lower back from bearing all the body weight.
When starting to skate, it’s okay to be scared of falling. For many beginner skaters, this is the reason for poor form.
Instead, they choose to skate like they’re walking while the body is rigid. This puts a lot of pressure on the lower back, making it hurt even more.
Something else: falling when rollerblading is inevitable because even experienced skaters fall occasionally.
That’s why there are cool and safe ways to fall, whether you’re a beginner or a slightly experienced skater.
Once you learn these fall techniques, you should free up your body, bend correctly to distribute the body weight away from your lower back, and roll on your skates.
2. Lower Back Muscles Yet to Adapt to Rollerblading Because of Weak Core Muscles
Core provides stability for the lower back. However, fatigued core cannot properly support the lower back.
When starting to skate, your lower back muscles will need time to get used to skating, especially the recommended staying low position.
Bending for long when not used to it can easily take a toll on you, causing unbearable pain around the lower back.
In addition, the pain is always more if one has more fat deposits around the waist and lower back area.
But you don’t have to stress over it that much. With regular practice, your core muscles (which make 100% of the lower back) should get used to rollerblading.
3. Over-stretching Your Rollerblading Limit and Over Skating
I get it! Rollerblading is fun, and it’s always irresistible putting your skates whenever you have time to go rollerblading.
I can relate to this because I passed through this when starting. However, I learned over skating was causing me more back pain.
This was possible, considering my lower back muscles were yet to get accustomed to skating.
Furthermore, this isn’t only a newbie problem! Even intermediate and experienced skaters experience lower back discomfort after bending for long and covering longer distances.
Some of it is often a result of fatigue. However, most of it is because of over-stretching their rollerblading limits.
4. Medical Condition
What medical condition causes lower back pain? You could be wondering. According to a study by Health line, lower back pain can be caused by diseases like cancer of the spinal cord, ruptured disc, sciatica, arthritis, kidney infections, and infections of the spine.
Therefore, if your lower back hurts when rollerblading, it could be because of these medical conditions (God forbid).
However, you can only find out if you visit a doctor for diagnosis, especially when the pain persists.
5. Tight Hip Flexors
Tight hip flexors can contribute to lower back pain when rollerblading. The hip flexors allow you to lift your knees and bend at the hips. When the hip flexors are tight or shortened, they can pull on lumbar vertebrae, causing excessive arching of the lower back. Tight hip flexors also change the curvature of the lower spine.
This puts additional strain on the muscles and discs in the lower back as you bend forward to push off while skating. Stretches and exercises targeting hip flexors like lunges or knee-to-chest can help improve flexibility and take pressure off the lower back.
Lower Back Hurts when Rollerblading | How to Make it Stop
Now that we already know what causes lower back pain when skating, it’s important to look at how we can make it stop.
The pain isn’t only devastating but takes away the fun of rollerblading. Therefore, it’s important to address the lower back pain problem right off the bat.
1. Master the Correct Rollerblading Posture
Poor skating posture plays a major role in causing lower back pain when rollerblading. The good news is, this is a problem you can easily fix with the correct rollerblading posture.
As we’ve already seen, the correct posture involves staying low by bending properly.
When doing this, your knees should be above your toes, the shoulders over the hips, and your lower back slightly arched.
This posture helps transfer all the weight to the toe balls and away from your waist and lower back area.
2. Skate More Often to Adapt the Back Muscles to Rollerblading
Skating more often is the remedy for weak lower back muscles. Some benefits of rollerblading are muscle development and enhanced body coordination and balance.
So, if you skate more often, your lower back muscles will develop and grow stronger. You especially want to target abs, obliques, and lower back. Try planks, bridges, and deadbugs exercises to strengthen your core muscles.
Eventually, they’ll get used to the correct rollerblading posture of bending and staying low.
Therefore, for quick results, try to skate at least three times a week for 30-60 minutes.
3. Spend Quality (Not Quantity) Time Skating
It is important to proceed cautiously while skating more often to adapt your back muscles to rollerblading.
By this, I mean not exceeding the limits. Therefore, you should aim for quality instead of quantity. I know how it’s hard to resist the urge to skate.
However, it’ll serve you right to moderate how often you skate, especially when you want to stop the stubborn lower back pain.
4. Maintain a Regular Off-skate Exercise Routine
A regular off-skate exercise routine helps along the way by keeping your body fit and in shape.
Often, the lower back pain results from muscle strain, which you can prevent by staying fit.
Therefore, you want to engage in cardio exercises like running, jogging, or sprinting as cross-training exercises.
Other exercises include swimming or engaging in sports like football, basketball, etc.
While doing these exercises, consider lower back exercises, including warming up and down before and after a rollerblading session.
Also, even when not rollerblading, you can try out lower back exercises such as bridges, knee-to-chest stretches, cat stretches, and supermans to get your body accustomed to the correct skating posture.
5. Seek Medical Attention
This should be your last resolve when all other recommendations fail to bear fruits. To go about this, you need to pay your doctor a visit for a diagnosis.
If your lower back hurts because of the medical reasons we looked at earlier in this post, the doctor will examine you and offer more help.
Treating Existing Rollerblading Back Pain
Here’s how to treat an existing Rollerblading back pain.
Apply Heat Before Activity to Loosen Muscles
Applying heat to the lower back before a rollerblading session can help relax the muscles and increase blood flow. Use a heating pad, warm compress, or take a warm shower for 10-15 minutes. The increased temperature helps loosen tight muscles and prevents them from spasming during activity. Be sure not to overheat or burn the skin.
Take Frequent Breaks to Rest Lower Back
During long skating sessions, take regular breaks to get off the skates and give your back a rest. Try sitting down for a few minutes every 30-45 minutes. Walking and light stretching can also relieve tension in the muscles. Letting your back decompress and relax even briefly can make a big difference in preventing and reducing lower back pain.
Wear Lumbar Support During Skating Session
Wearing a lumbar support brace or compression shorts with built-in back support can help stabilize the lower spine while skating. The gentle compression and improved posture reduce strain on the back muscles and discs. Make sure the lumbar support fits comfortably and doesn’t restrict movement in the lumbar region.
Do Gentle Twists and Flexes Between Sessions
Some gentle stretches and motions can provide relief between skating sessions. Try standing upright and slowly twisting the upper body from side to side to loosen the lower back. Or bend forward carefully at the hips to flex the back gently. Go slowly and stop if any stretch causes pain.
Try Yoga, Pilates to Improve Core Strength
Building core strength and flexibility through yoga, Pilates, or other exercises can help prevent and treat back pain associated with rollerblading over time. A strong core takes pressure off the back muscles. Focus on poses and routines that target the abdominals, hips, and lower back.
Get a Massage to Release Tight Muscles
Massage therapy helps reduce muscle tension and spasms in the lower back. A licensed massage therapist can target trigger points and use techniques like kneading, compression, and joint mobilization to get knots and tight spots to release. This can bring considerable relief to a sore, stiff back.
Is Rollerblading Bad for Your Lower Back?
Rollerblading can be bad for your lower back when you use the wrong rollerblading posture, when your back muscles are yet to get used to rollerblading when you overskate, or when you have a medical condition like cancer of the spinal cord, ruptured disc, sciatica, and arthritis.
Lower Hack Hurts when Rollerblading | Related Questions
1. Why Does My Lower Back Hurt when Skating?
Your lower back hurts when skating because of poor skating posture, over skating, developing lower back muscles, or an underlying health condition.
2. How do You Roller skate Without Hurting Your Back?
The best way to rollerblade without hurting your back is to learn and apply the correct roller skating posture, which involves bending low with knees above the toes, shoulders over hips, and lower back slightly arched.
This helps to distribute the weight to your toe balls.
3. How do You Properly Rollerblade?
The proper way to rollerblade is by bending low with your knees above your toes, shoulders over hips, and lower back slightly arched.
Also, you want to ensure you’re not over skating and instead of going for a quality rollerblading time.
In addition, you should indulge in cross-training exercises for overall body fitness.
Lower Back Hurts when Rollerblading | Wrapping Up
The lower back hurts when rollerblading for several reasons. If you’ve been wondering why you experience this problem, I believe you’ve found real value from this right up.
In summary, the lower back hurts when rollerblading because of reasons like poor roller skating posture, lower back muscles yet to adapt to rollerblading, over-stretching your rollerblading limit, or a lower back medical condition.
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