Hi,

Over the last few years I’ve suffered with a bit of lower back pain, to a greater or lesser extent.

I work at home and ride about 12 hours a week (mostly road), so spend a lot of time sitting down. When I stand or walk for a for more than about an hour I get central lower back ache, which is quite uncomfortable. If I then sit or lie down it fairly instantly disappears. I dont suffer with back pain on the bike unless its a really long hard ride where I’m wrestling up the hills to keep up.

Last year didnt seem to be much of a problem, but I think that might be to do with the the amount of yoga and walking I did during lock downs etc.

My googling so far suggests that due to all my sitting I’m got shortened quads, which coupled with longer hamstrings (I can get my palms flat on the floor with straight legs) means that my pelvis is being rotated forward, resulting in the pain.

I’ve since started trying to stretch my quads, but its too early to tell.

Any thoughts, suggestions or experiences?

I know the “right” answer will be to see a professional, which I’m not completely adverse to, but I have a scepticism that they’ll just give me some exercise that I can find myself, want to see me several times and take £50 a pop for the privilege, so I’d rather go DIY for the moment.

If your doing a lot of sitting at a desk make sure it’s the right height and screen is high enough.

I kicked up a fuss at the last place because desk was too low. Ended up with a bit of raised kitchen worktop on my desk and some blocks under my monitor stands to get everything the right height. This was only after saying I was getting back pain to hr.
At home I’ve got similar, I use a flat pack dining table (it’s the right height out the box) and monitor raises.

Though it seems a bit picky I never had back pain or discomfort working on the computer at the last place and same at home.

Son has some hip issues and as a result has a rotated pelvis, unfortunately it’s just physio the help with that. Make sure you sit correct.

Edit: for reference I’m 6’6″ and office furniture seems to be for snow white’s friends.
Yes stretching will help use it as you screen break.

6ft3 and a history of back / neck problems from sitting at small desks.

1) set a work alarm every hour and get up, walk around, stretch.

2) get into a good routine of stretching every day.

3) get your computer, desk, chair set up right.

4) make sure you have some naproxen 500mg in the cupboard for when your back goes and your fubard for 3 days.

5) don’t be lazy and stop stretching when your back feels good.

When I get a back spasm I get a back massage done to free it up, work out the tension etc.

Broken back here, missing half L1 after getting hit by a car. Raised desk helps me, and don’t sit too long. I’m finding hybrid working a challenge as I am not moving enough in the office now. Bikefit fine, both road and MTB

I suffered from lower back pain a few years ago. Two things I did that have helped make things better were checking and adjusting my bike fit, and doing exercises to improve my core strength (including weights/resistance training). I read Fast After Fifty by Joe Friel, which put things in perspective for me (given my age).

Kelly Starrett’s books might help eg deskbound.

However if you have been doing a lot of yoga it might be one where a good professional looking at you is likely to help if you are overly flexible in one direction.

Sounds like weak glutes. The glutes are lazy. Why would they work when your lower back muscles can do the same job – ie extend the hip. The best YouTube vids are Jeff Cavalieres AthleanX videos and look for specific glute/lower back videos. It’ll have you fixed in a few days if that is the cause.

Pelvic tilt is a likely trigger. The advice above re getting the Kelly Starrett book is sound.

That or do some online research – much of it is available with a bit of effort (mostly to filter the nonsense).

I am a fan of Active Isolated Stretching in combo with the other mobility WOD etc interventions above. It’s worth getting a bit of expert guidance as it is a bit more complex than just stretching the quads but in my experience it’s hard to find a decent practitioner who actually knows what they’re talking about.

I had this very issue after too much sitting and quad dominant exercise. I got a standing desk, was strict with a hip/lower back protocol and started running a day or two a week which really helped (but took a few weeks to feel comfortable running. Lots of walk run walk).

Now it’s just my neck and traps that hurt. But at least I can run and cycle 🤷‍♂️

I had similar issues about 10years ago, as above basically weak glutes.

I learned that I had to build at least an hour of basic strength training in every week to keep me right and offset the effects of being desk bound. I’m not talking about massive weights in the gym, just body weight stuff, circuits or kettlebells at home.

Cool thing is I find if i totally let my running or riding slip but keep up the strength stuff, it’s quite easy to get started again without injury or too much pain.

The problem with back stuff is everyone will tell you what worked for them and it’s always different.

Constants are make sure your desk and chair is correct and move more and with more variety.

I can’t diagnose you. For me it was tight hamstrings and weak glutes. Lots of things worked. Perhaps the best thing I did was take up Pilates. The excercises are very similar to the ones you’d get from a physio and it also gave me a good understanding of what my body is doing.

I’d spend £50 for a chat with a physio. Well worth it in the long run.

That and I moved back into a research job where I can mix up work so sometimes standing, sometimes sitting and often moving around.

Thanks for the replies.

Whilst I’ve done a lot of glute stretches I’ve not done any of the strengthening exercises.

I agree that specific advice would be best, but also think that there is very little risk of harm by doing simple stretching or strengthening as a first attempt.

I’ve been going through this for what feels like years, but I also think it has been several different causes along the way!

Currently I think it is because I have developed a bit of ‘swayback’ posture. Easily confused with anterior pelvic tilt. The clue for me was that my hip flexors ALWAYS felt tight, no matter how I stretched them.

Swayback posture basically puts your shoulders behind your hips so you have to sort of counterbalance with your pelvis forward, a bit like Mr Bean 😂 This means your hip flexors are always under strain, and although they feel tight the LAST thing they actually need is be stretched. This posture also puts a lot of compression and weight through your lower back and sacrum, so I’ve developed what I think (and osteopath/physios ‘sort of’ agree) is S.I. joint pain, which can easily be confused with just general low back pain.

Counteracting swayback seems to basically require good core work (with a focus less on hip thrusting type exercises but more on ‘neutral spine’ type exercises, e.g. pilates!) and also some focus on upper back work to pull the shoulders back and re-adjust your centre of gravity.

I dont suffer with back pain on the bike unless its a really long hard ride where I’m wrestling up the hills to keep up.

This rings true with me, my back mostly feels better the more I ride. I’m as pain free as I’ve been for months this morning after my biggest weekend on the road bike this year!

but also think that there is very little risk of harm by doing simple stretching or strengthening as a first attempt.

Not necessarily true especially if, as you say, you have a lot of flexibility in other directions. It could be potentially be that you should be looking to reduce that.

+1 for strength training as a basic fix

The fact that all your riding is in the same (road) position won’t be helping

I had very similar (but not identical) issue to you. For years. Google and various Youtube routines/stretches etc never really resolved it. One trip to a (good) physio correctly diagnosed and all pain was gone after a few weeks doing his prescribed exercises.

So £50 is money well spent if you have a recommendation of a good physio. I should have gone years ago.