6 Things to Try If Your Lower Back Hurts After Squats, According to Physical Therapists

Feeling sore after a workout is natural. But feeling real pain after exercise? You want to avoid that. That’s why it can be pretty alarming when you notice lower back pain after squats. (That definitely isn’t the goal of a lower body workout!)

It turns out it’s a relatively common experience, though. “The lower back is one of the most commonly injured areas with poor squat form or in people [who are lifting] too much weight,” says Milica McDowell, an exercise physiologist, physical therapist, and vice president of operations at Gait Happens.

In fact, the lower back is consistently among the top two most frequent injury sites for weightlifters, particularly those doing squats and deadlifts. By some estimates, lower back pain accounts for up to 59 percent of all weightlifting injuries, according to 2023 research. And it’s usually due to lifting too much weight with sub-par form, per a small 2020 study.

But that doesn’t mean you should just live with the discomfort. Keep reading to learn the possible causes of your post-squat back pain and how to prevent it in the future.

Why Your Lower Back Hurts After Squats

There are a number of reasons you could experience lower back pain after squats, and determining what’s really going on will help you figure out what to do about it.

1. Your Form Is Off

Perfect squat form involves keeping your back flat, but not absolutely upright. When your lower back hurts after squats, it’s possible you’re trying to stand “too perfectly vertical,” says physical therapist Schuyler Archambault, owner of Arch Physical Therapy and Fitness. “Our trunk actually needs to lean forward a bit when we perform a squat.”

You might also be curving your back and/or tucking your pelvis underneath you, McDowell says. Sometimes called a “butt wink,” this seemingly innocent tuck is associated with an increased risk of a herniated disc, according to the National Spine Health Foundation.

2. You’re Using Too Much Weight

You might have perfected your squat form before you picked up any weights, but loading up a barbell or grabbing heavier dumbbells than usual can still cause your usually meticulous form to falter, Archambault says. “You’re using too much weight, and you’re not able to stabilize enough through your core,” she says.

The added weight puts extra force on your spine, and if you can’t support that force with good form, you’re more likely to feel pain, says Stacie Page, a board-certified orthopedic physical therapist at Johns Hopkins Medicine. 

3. You Scaled up Too Quickly

If your back’s bothering you, look at the total volume of squatting you’re doing: Did you recently decide to do more reps and/or sets while potentially also adding more weight? That could be a recipe for pain compared to progressing more gradually, Archambault says.

4. You Strained a Back Muscle

If the pain lingers well after your squats are over, it’s possible you did enough damage to strain a muscle in your low back. Injured muscles (and tendons) in the area can spasm, feel sore to the touch, and cause sudden pain, according to Cedars Sinai. You’ll usually feel a strain as pain across your back, Page adds, rather than pain that radiates down into your butt or legs.

If you think you might have strained a back muscle or otherwise gotten injured, make an appointment with your healthcare provider and avoid squatting in the meantime. Your doctor or a physical therapist can help get to the root of the issue and create a best path forward for relief. (More on that below.)

How to Prevent Lower Back Pain After Squats

Before your next strength workout, take a few steps to help limit your chances of post-squat lower back pain from rearing up again in the future.

1. Check Your Form

The first step is making sure you know how to squat correctly. It might feel a little awkward, but watch yourself squat in a mirror and make sure you have a slight forward lean in your upper body, Archambault says. You can also ask a gym buddy to take a video of you squatting so you can see how you move, Page adds. And you can always follow along with the form tips during an instructor-led lower body workout on the Peloton App. 

Here are some reminders of what you’re looking for during a squat:

2. Ease up On the Weight

If your form is breaking down because you’ve recently increased how much weight you’re squatting, you might need to back off a bit. “Find a weight you can squat pain-free, and then gradually build back up from there,” Archambault says. “It's likely too heavy if you can't maintain your form.”

3. Warm up with Some Hip Mobility and Glute Activation

If your hips are tight or stiff, you might compensate during your squats and curve your spine more, which could set you up for back injury or pain, McDowell says.

Right before a workout that includes squats and regularly over time, focus on loosening up your hips and building mobility in those joints. (There are plenty of great hip mobility workouts on the Peloton App that can help.)

Ideally, you’d also spend some time getting your heart rate up with a little cardio warm-up, in addition to doing some dynamic stretches and other range-of-motion exercises before progressing into your squats, McDowell says.

Focus on some glute-activating movements like bridges and clamshells using only your body weight to “get those butt muscles to kick in,” Page says. When all the correct lower body muscles are firing, you’ll be better set up to squat with perfect, pain-preventing form. Otherwise, “it’s not going to feel great because we haven’t prepped our body to move in that way yet,” Archambault says.

4. Work on Your Ankle Mobility

Just like with your hips, if you have limited ankle mobility, you might compensate from your back in ways that throw off your squat form and could ultimately hurt you. “If you don’t have that ankle mobility, you’re going to get it from somewhere else, and that tends to be what breaks down someone’s form,” Page says.

The Peloton App has an array of ankle mobility routines you can try to help build up your range of motion over time.

You can also put a weight plate on the floor and put your heels on it to perform your squats, Page says. With your heels elevated, you’ll get a better range of motion through your ankles that allows you to maintain proper form throughout your upper body, she says.

5. Build Your Core Strength

In general, lower back pain can crop up when “the back muscles aren’t being supported the way they should,” Page says. The deep ab muscles (the transverse abdominis) are especially important here, she says. You can build strength in these crucial muscles with deep core exercises like dead bugs, bird dogs, and plank variations.

6. Try a Squat Variation

If you’re hoping to avoid lower back pain after squatting, you can also consider a couple of squat variations. 

For starters, adjust your stance slightly: Position your legs wider than normal and turn your toes slightly out, McDowell says. You’ll feel a little less tight through your hips and have more room to comfortably lean your torso slightly forward, she says.

You can also limit how deep you squat to make sure you’re prioritizing form. Stand in front of a bench or stable chair and squat only as low as it takes to tap your glutes to the surface. “That way, you can’t go too deep, and you can work on maintaining the correct low back posture,” McDowell says.

When to Talk to a Healthcare Provider About Lower Back Pain After Squats

If you’ve tried the simple fixes of adjusting your form and decreasing the amount of weight lifted and you’re still noticing lower pain from squats, it’s worth talking to a professional sooner rather than later. The longer you wait, the more likely you are to make the issue worse, Page says.

And not just physically: “You might start to avoid squats and then become anxious or fearful to move because of the pain,” she says.

If you need a referral for physical therapy, you can see your primary care physician first, she says. They may also be able to recommend some over-the-counter pain medication or prescription options if the pain is severe, she adds. But a physical therapist will be best suited to helping you adjust your mechanics. “Once you move better, you’ll feel better,” she says. 

You should also always talk to a provider when you’re dealing with real pain rather than run-of-the-mill soreness, McDowell says. Usually you’ll be able to tell the difference. With pain, “your body is saying something’s wrong,” she says. Your back might be sore to the touch or you might be afraid to bend over because it hurts so badly. Definitely bring up that kind of discomfort with someone who is trained to help you, she says.

If you’re not sure if you might just be sore, you can try some self-care at home, McDowell says, such as stretching and icing. But if the pain lingers for over a week, it’s probably time to consult a professional, she adds.

In the meantime, avoid squats until you and your doctor or physical therapist can figure out what’s causing your pain. “You don’t want to train tissue that’s already irritated,” McDowell says. You can likely still do other activities that don’t make the pain worse, though (but of course, it’s always a good idea to get the green light from your provider first). Page recommends swimming: “It relieves the pressure on the spine because of the buoyancy, but it also strengthens the muscles of the back and helps you have a little bit more stability when you get back to on-land exercises.”

The Takeaway

Lower back pain after squats is relatively common, especially if you’re not squatting with good form, you’re lifting too much weight, or you ramped up your squat intensity too quickly. Adjusting your form, sticking with a manageable weight, and improving your core strength, ankle mobility, and hip mobility can help you avoid discomfort. Always talk to a healthcare provider if you think you’re injured or need some professional help correcting your squat form, and avoid squatting until your back pain goes away.