Congratulations Jen! Glad you are doing well. The walking, lots of water, and plenty of fruits and veggies help get the bowels back in order.
I, as well, had lower back problems - particularly if I was up too long. Walking does help, as inactivity will weaken those muscles. Also, I finally realized that a lot of my problem was the fact that I wasn't walking normal. I had kind of a "hunched" walk brought non not only by the discomfort, but a natural reflex to protect the area. I found a couple of things helped. First, we were supposed to be taking walks every day. Both my husband and I found that if we used a cane or a walking stick for some support, it kept that pressure off the lower back when walking. I also tried to make a distinct effort to watch my posture and stand up as erect as possible. Both seemed to help, and it wasn't long before my brain was re trained to stand straight and not worry so much about the incision area.