Back · 5 min

Lower Back Stretches

Gentle stretches to release a tight lower back after sitting or training. A calm five-minute routine to help the muscles around your spine let go.

5 min
6 exercises
No equipment needed

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1
Child's Pose
1m
Knees wide, hips back to heels, arms reaching forward.
How to do it
1. Kneel on the floor with big toes touching and knees spread wide.
2. Sit your hips back toward your heels.
3. Walk your hands forward and rest your forehead on the floor, arms long.
4. Breathe slowly for 60 seconds.
Why it matters
The body's neutral reset — a low-effort way to decompress the lower back and downshift the nervous system.
Use between harder stretches, or as a transition between sets.
How it should feel
The stretch should feel diffuse — through the hips, lower back, lats and shoulders. Nothing should hurt sharply.
Let the body settle with each exhale. The hips will sink lower into the heels as the tissue gives.
If the forehead won't reach the floor, stack the hands and rest the forehead on them. Don't strain the neck.
Make it easier or harder
Easierplace a folded blanket between the hips and heels, or under the forehead for support.
Harderwalk the hands further out to one side for a deeper lat stretch, or stack hands on top of each other and rest the forehead lower.
2
Cat-Cow
45s
On all fours, alternate arching and rounding the spine.
How to do it
1. Start on all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
2. Inhale and drop the belly, lifting the chest and tailbone toward the ceiling (cow).
3. Exhale and round the spine, drawing the chin to the chest and the tailbone under (cat).
4. Continue slowly for 8-12 full breath cycles.
Why it matters
Mobilises every segment of the spine — a simple full-spine wake-up that takes 90 seconds.
Good first thing in the morning or between sets of seated work.
How it should feel
Each section of the spine should move — not just the lower back. Imagine the movement starting at the tailbone and rolling up through to the head.
Match the movement to the breath. Inhale into the cow, exhale into the cat. Slow tempo wins.
If the wrists complain, drop to the forearms or place a folded towel under the heels of the hands.
Make it easier or harder
Easierdo it seated in a chair with hands on the knees, arching and rounding through a smaller range.
Harderslow the tempo dramatically, or add side-bends and small spinal rotations between cycles.
3
Happy Baby
1m
Lie on your back, knees wide, holding the feet or ankles.
How to do it
1. Lie on your back and draw both knees toward the chest.
2. Open the knees wide toward the armpits.
3. Hold the outside of the feet, ankles or shins and let the soles face upward.
4. Breathe for 45-60 seconds, keeping the lower back relaxed.
Why it matters
A gentle hip opener that also helps the lower back settle after training or long sitting.
Good when you want mobility without adding more intensity.
How it should feel
The stretch should feel broad through the inner hips and groin, with the lower back supported by the floor.
Do not yank the feet down. Let breathing and body weight do the work.
If holding the feet rounds the shoulders hard, hold the shins instead.
Make it easier or harder
Easierhold behind the thighs or use a strap around each foot.
Harderstraighten one leg slightly at a time while keeping the back relaxed.
4
Supine Twist
1m
Lie on your back, draw both knees up and drop them to one side.
How to do it
1. Lie on your back with arms extended out in a T and knees bent.
2. Draw both knees up toward your chest, then let them drop to the right.
3. Turn your head to look toward the left hand, keeping both shoulder blades on the floor.
4. Hold for 60 seconds, then switch sides.
Why it matters
A passive, gravity-fed rotation that decompresses the lower back and opens the chest.
Classic end-of-day or pre-sleep stretch — low effort, high return.
How it should feel
The stretch should run through the lower back, the outer hip and the front of the chest — a diagonal across the body.
Keep both shoulders pressing down. If the opposite shoulder lifts off the floor, you've over-rotated.
Let gravity do the work. This isn't an active stretch — the knees should rest where they land naturally.
Make it easier or harder
Easierplace a pillow or block under the knees so they don't have to drop as far. Skip the head turn.
Harderstraighten the top leg and reach it diagonally for a deeper rotation, or hold the top knee with the opposite hand.
5
Bird Dogs
45s
From all fours, extend opposite arm and leg without twisting.
How to do it
1. Start on all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
2. Brace the core and extend your right arm forward and left leg straight back.
3. Keep hips and shoulders square to the floor — no twisting.
4. Return to start and switch sides, alternating for 8-10 reps per side.
Why it matters
Trains core stability while the limbs move — the pattern that protects the lower back when running, lifting or carrying loads.
A cornerstone of any runner's strength routine and a daily insurance policy for the lower back.
How it should feel
The work is anti-rotation — the core stops the body from twisting as one arm and one leg leave the floor.
Keep a long line from fingertip to toe. The hand and foot reach away from each other, not up.
If the lower back arches when the leg extends, the leg has gone too high. Lower it until the back stays flat.
Make it easier or harder
Easierjust extend the leg, or just extend the arm. Build up to the full pattern.
Harderpause for 2-3 seconds in the extended position, or add a knee-to-elbow draw at the end of each rep.
6
Dead Bugs
30s
On your back, lower opposite arm and leg with the lower back pressed down.
How to do it
1. Lie on your back with arms extended toward the ceiling and knees bent at 90° over the hips.
2. Press the lower back firmly into the floor.
3. Slowly lower the right arm overhead and the left leg toward the floor, keeping the back pressed down.
4. Return to start and switch sides, alternating for 8-10 reps per side.
Why it matters
The opposite-pattern partner to bird dogs — trains anti-extension while limbs reach away from the body.
Directly translates to running form: keeps the pelvis stable as the legs cycle through stride.
How it should feel
The work is in the deep abdominals — the muscles that keep the lower back pinned to the floor as the limbs move.
The moment the lower back lifts off the floor, you've gone past your control range. Shorten the limb movement until the back stays down.
Breathe out as you extend the limb. Breath-holding makes the core brace less effectively.
Make it easier or harder
Easieronly move the arm or only the leg. Bend the lowering leg more, or reduce the range significantly.
Harderslow the tempo dramatically, or hold the extended position for 2 seconds before returning.