The Absolute Best Stretches for Lower Back Pain (And Which Ones to Avoid)

The lower back is often a source of aches and soreness.

Pain is fairly common as it is easy to strain, hurt, or overwork the lower back.

However, there are several stretches that can help ease and even prevent lower back aches or injury!

These stretches can be done when there is pain to help alleviate and restore the back.

You’ll notice many of these stretches correlate with stretches done in yoga, demonstrating how another huge benefit yoga has in managing and alleviating pain.

The Top 5 Stretches to Help Reduce Lower Back Pain

1. Cat/Cow Stretch

This pose is great for targeting the lower back.

Begin in a tabletop position on all fours, with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees directly under your hips. Make sure your spine is straight.

Round your back upwards, stretching up with the shoulders (think of how a cat arches up).

Then drop your belly and let your back arches downwards.

Check out a demonstration video here for reference.

2. Child’s Pose

This pose is a resting pose that should feel soft and comfortable.

Begin in a tabletop position on all fours, with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees directly under your hips. Make sure your spine is straight.

Now, Reach your arms forward, palms flat on the ground, and sit your hips back towards your heels. Drop your head and chest down and extend your arms even more.

Place a pillow under your belly if the stretch feels too deep.

Check out a demonstration video here for reference.

3. Psoas Stretch

The psoas muscle flexes the hip. It is linked to the lower back and can be a cause of pain for athletes and people who sit often.

This is the kneeling version of a psoas stretch. Place one knee on the ground and one foot placed in front at a 90° angle. Make sure the back is straight.

Raise the arm on the side that the knee is on the ground and tilt towards the side of the knee at 90°.

This can be done in a standing lunge as well if knee pain is present.

Check out a demonstration video here for reference.

4. Hip Airplanes

The hips and back are highly connected. Stiff hips can cause the back to be tense, causing pain.

Stand with legs shoulder length apart and tighten the core slightly. Plant one foot and kick one leg behind you, completely straight. Make sure the planted leg is slightly bent.

Next, start rotating the hips in towards the planted leg and away from the planted leg.

This can be done supported by a chair if balance is not there yet.

Check out a demonstration video here for reference.

5. Reaching Mountain Pose

A posture of sitting at a computer, as many of us do, can cause our back to hunch forward.

To fix this, stand up straight, legs shoulder length apart. Reach your hands up above the head for a few seconds.

Next, with your hands reaching up, reach back as far as comfortable and breathe deeply.

This one is a simple form of spine hygiene, helping the entire back to realign.

Check out a demonstration video here for reference.

The Worst Stretches for Lower Back Pain

Let’s keep this short and simple; the following stretches tend to put more strain on the lower back, particularly when you are already hurt. Performing the following stretches makes it easy to overstretch and actually cause more pain.

• Toe Touches
• Supine Twist
• Knees to Chest

They can be performed, but are not the way to gain long-term relief. These stretches can reduce pain momentarily, but cause more damage, further hurting the back and increase pain.

Final Tips For Stretching

Here are some final tips for executing stretches effectively and gaining maximum benefits!

• Breathe while stretching! This will help ease discomfort.
• Hold each pose for 10 to 30 seconds, adding more time if wanted to gain maximum pain relief.
• Move through each pose slowly, take it as a time to relax and rest.
• While there may be slight discomfort, there should be no pain, so don’t force a stretch or overstretch.

And finally, may everyone stay safe, breathe deep, and practice responsibly! Let’s find fitness that works, together.

The Takeaway

Lower back pain does not have to exist in your life.

There are many stretches that can help treat or even prevent lower back pain. Some stretches may do more harm than good in the long run so make sure you know which to try and which to avoid.

Make sure you are taking small steps to improve wellness and overall wellbeing, like eating better, reducing stress, hydrating, and exercising.

Small changes can have huge impacts!

Remember, health starts from within!