5 Lower Back Stretches (with Pictures) that Relieve Pain

Integrating these effortless lower back stretches into your routine can help you feel relief after being seated for too long or perhaps between work sessions. This way, you can also add some physical activity into your daily life and avoid the negative effects of sitting for prolonged periods.

Lower back pain has diverse causes, such as strain, injuries or even sciatica. However, if you haven't been diagnosed with a pre-existing condition, perhaps it is due to a bad seat and improper posture. This can result in great discomfort, lack of focus, and, ultimately, it will affect your productivity.

However, this issue has a solution. You can start by investing in an ergonomic chair, as it will allow you to keep your back fully supported while also ensuring that you keep the optimal posture. Sitting in the correct posture will allow you to distribute your weight evenly throughout your body. Another good option is lower back exercises or stretches, which you can do before, after or even between work sessions.

This post will give you some easy stretches for the lower back that you can do without equipment. Alternatively, you can also take a look at some office chair stretches if you’d like to learn how you can alleviate your lower back pain while you’re at the office.

How to Stretch the Lower Back: 5 Stretches You Can Do

Having low back pain is extremely annoying and can affect your mood. Sometimes, you haven't even started your day, and the pain starts attacking you. However, spending a few minutes in the morning doing these stretches can help you feel more relief throughout the day. You can also perform some of these stretches to help back pain at the office during your breaks, as they don't require any equipment.

1.  Knee to chest

This is one of the easiest lumbar spine stretches. It will help you align your lower back area, but it can also be useful for the pelvis and rear-end muscles. Follow the steps as described below:

• Lie with your flat back on the floor. Your toes should be pointing toward the ceiling.
• Start bending both of your knees to your chest until you reach your limit.
• Wrap your arms around your legs and pull them up gently.
• Maintain this position for 20 seconds.
• Repeat at least three times.

You can also vary this lower back stretch and use one leg at a time. You can make three repetitions for each leg.

2.  Child’s pose

This pose is quite common in yoga. It's easy to make, and it can help you relieve tension all through your spine and shoulders. Here's how you can do it:

• First, kneel down on the floor and put your hands on the ground, too.
• Sink back, slowly through your hips until your rear touches your heels.
• Your belly should be resting on your thighs.
• Then, extend your arms to the front with your palms face-up.
• Focus on your breathing and releasing the tension in the areas where you feel stiffness.
• Hold the pose for about one minute.

You can perform this lower back stretch as many times as you want while you’re stretching. It can be a great way of transitioning between one stretch and another.

3.  Yoga Cat-Cow

This is another position that’s very easy to perform and doesn’t take too much of your time. Follow the steps as described below:

• Kneel on all fours and keep your hands under your shoulders. Your knees should be beneath your hips.
• Now, exhale and arch your back gently.
• Inhale and round your back, mimicking what a cat does.
• Perform slight movements between each instance.
• It’s recommended to hold each position for 5-10 seconds.
• Do 10 repetitions.

This lower back stretch is quite easy and relieving. You will start feeling more comfortable almost immediately.

4.  Seated spinal twist

This twist will help you stretch your lower back area, hips, and glutes. It can also be helpful if you're looking forward to increasing the mobility of your spine. Here's how you can perform this stretch:

• Sit on the floor and stretch your legs out.
• Flex your left knee and place it beside your right thigh.
• You can support yourself by placing your left hand behind you.
• Now, start “twisting” your spine to the left side.
• Stay in that position for one minute.
• Repeat the stretch with the right side.

This lower back stretch can also help you "activate" your abs, shoulders, and neck. It can be an excellent starter stretch due to the number of muscles and body parts it puts to work.

5.  Cobra stretch

The last stretch on the list is quite easy to perform, too. It will help you stretch your abs and the lumbar area. Here’s how you can perform it:

• First, lie on your stomach and extend your legs. Your elbows should be touching the floor, and your palms should be touching the ground.
• Now, start pushing your body upward. Try to maintain your hips on the ground and use your hands to support yourself.
• Keep going until you find a comfortable position that stretches your abdominal area and your back. Then, hold it for ten seconds.
• Return to the original position. You can repeat this stretch up to five times.

This stretch can also be helpful during the start due to the number of body parts you'll be using.

Recommendations to Avoid Lower Back Pain

The above stretches are meant for individual sessions at home or the gym, but you can also take a look at office stretches for the back or seated stretches if you’d like to keep your body fully stretched and prevent back pain while you’re working.

We also recommend you invest in a reclining desk chair. This way, it’ll be possible for you to sit in a comfortable and ergonomic position while working while also giving your back a break whenever you decide to sit back. This chair is also the optimal option if you would like to perform back stretches in the chair now and then.

Looking after your spine health is something you should never forget!