After my hour swims, my darn lower back sure hurts. Am I doing something wrong or just getting older?
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Probably have your head to high in the water causing your back to arch. Just a guess. Keep the body taught!
Great idea. I try to keep my head down but, …
I have had the same problem. I was told to try this stretch to decrease my pain. It was slow improvement, but my back feels way better.
Sit in a chair or on the side of the pool. Cross one leg so your ankle is on the opposite knee. Lean forward from the waist. When I do this I feel it in my IT band area, butt and low back.
Thanks, will try.
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Also, try swimming with a buoy to remind yourself of proper form (hips high, not sinking) and dry land core work (the front supports the back).
Could be due to a whole host of things. Head to high, poor body rotation, lifting head when breathing, improper catch and pull. Get a coach to look at your technique
I get lower back pain from swimming if I haven’t been in the water for an extended period of time. I attribute it to a few issues:
Poor body position
Working the latissimus dorsi
Kicking sets with a kickboard puts a slightly exaggerated arch in the lumbar spine
All of these issues usually resolve within a few weeks after my fitness and technique improves. I also religiously use a foam roller after swim sessions.
Sit in a chair or on the side of the pool. Cross one leg so your ankle is on the opposite knee. Lean forward from the waist. When I do this I feel it in my IT band area, butt and low back.
Dave, yup you’re old dude 
It could be your position etc. I get the same thing sometimes and this post is what I do too. GREAT stretch.
How much pull buoy time are you putting in? I have seen this more than once with a few swim acquaintances who relied heavily on the buoy. It’s easy to turn your mid section off when sliding a buoy b/t the legs and depending on the size/floatation it can certainly put an unhealthy amount of anterior tilt into your lumbar/sacral region. Going buoyless fixed their back probs quickly. Helped them become much better swimmers in the end too b/c they had to address their positional issues that were ‘fixed’ by using a buoy.
Get on the foam roller. Have it horizontal across your back and work up and down…bonus point if you reach your arms into first a Y position and then an I position.
I use a pull buoy at the end of my swim time of an hour for about 2 minutes. Even if I do not use at all, my lower back starts getting sore quickly.
I do not seem to feel this way after a race with a swim suit so body position could easily be one issue, and of course age. :o(
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I use a pull buoy at the end of my swim time of an hour for about 2 minutes. Even if I do not use at all, my lower back starts getting sore quickly.
I do not seem to feel this way after a race with a swim suit so body position could easily be one issue, and of course age. :o(
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Ok well shoot. Maybe try not using it at all and see if there is any dif? Trust me I sympathize with a bad back I have had 2 percutaneous discectomies for L4/L5/S1 and have foot drop:( Hope you get it sorted out.
Are you doing flip turns during your swimming?
How is your lower back out of the water in life, and/or in other training or activity ?
Are you doing flip turns during your swimming?
How is your lower back out of the water in life, and/or in other training or activity ?
Nope, zero flip turns. Luckily I cannot do these since folks have told me this has hurt their back.
I have some back issues normally, but generally never gets this back other than always after swimming for an hour. Others I talk to have the same issue so it might
be something we are all doing wrong.
I try to do my lower back core exercises 3 days a week which seems to help my back overall stay calm but clearly age is there. :o(
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You could be having the first signs of a bulging lumbar disc, but this is not for sure of course.
As you consider exercises for your back, you may want to take a look this short book, you may discover some helpful low back therapy.
Maybe try more swim sessions per week, but shortening the to, say, 30 min. for a few weeks, and see it that helps.
Thanks. I have my physical at the end of the month and will be asking my Doc for his thoughts.
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