Stretches for Lower Back Pain: 10 Gentle Moves

The best stretches for lower back pain are gentle moves that loosen the hips, glutes, and spine without forcing anything. Knee to chest, cat cow, child’s pose, and a figure four stretch, done slowly for about 12 minutes a day, often ease everyday stiffness within a week or two.

As a NASM corrective exercise specialist, I rarely see lower back tightness that lives in the lower back alone. Tight hips, stiff hamstrings, and long hours of sitting usually feed it, so a good routine works on all of them.

Why Your Lower Back Feels Tight and Stiff

Most everyday lower back tightness and stiffness comes from muscles that are tired, guarded, or stuck in one position too long. Sitting for hours shortens the hip flexors and switches off the glutes, so the small muscles along the spine end up doing extra work.

Coach Luke’s Top Pick

The two with the most research behind them.

Creatine + HMB

Creatine is the most studied performance supplement there is, and HMB is aimed at protecting the muscle you already built. Together they cover strength and recovery without the pre-workout jitters.

• Strength & power
• Supports lean muscle
• No stimulants

Read My Creatine + HMB Review →

My honest review — contains affiliate links. 90-day money-back guarantee.

Your lower back also sits between your hips and your upper back. When either of those gets stiff, the lower back often moves more than it should to make up the difference, and it complains about it.

Stress plays a part too. Many women I coach tell me their back tightens up during busy, tense weeks, even when nothing else has changed. Slow stretching paired with calm breathing helps the muscles let go.

Before You Start: How to Stretch a Sore Back Safely

Move slowly and stay in a range that feels like a mild, comfortable pull. A stretch should never feel sharp, electric, or like it travels down a leg.

Breathe in through your nose and out slowly through your mouth. No bouncing, and never force a position because it looks a certain way in a picture. If a move makes your pain worse, skip it and stick with the ones that feel good.

Stretches for Lower Back Pain: The 12-Minute Routine

Do these stretches for lower back pain in order, on a mat or carpet. Most are lying down, which takes the load off your spine while the muscles relax.

1. Knee to Chest (30 Seconds Each Side)

Lie on your back with both knees bent and feet flat. Hold behind one thigh and gently draw that knee toward your chest until you feel a soft stretch in your lower back and glute. Switch sides.

Holding behind the thigh rather than on top of the knee keeps pressure off the knee joint. Keep the other foot resting on the floor.

2. Double Knee to Chest (30 Seconds)

From the same position, bring both knees in and rest your hands behind your thighs. Let your lower back round gently into the floor and take five slow breaths.

You can rock a little side to side if that feels soothing. Keep your head and shoulders relaxed on the floor.

3. Pelvic Tilts (10 Slow Reps)

Lie on your back with your knees bent. Gently flatten your lower back into the floor by tilting your pelvis, then let it return to a small natural arch.

This tiny movement wakes up the deep core and moves the lower spine through a safe range. Keep it smooth and small, with no pushing through your feet.

4. Supine Twist (30 Seconds Each Side)

Lie on your back with knees bent and arms out in a T. Slowly let both knees drop to one side, only as far as is comfortable, and keep both shoulders on the floor. Return to center and switch.

Place a pillow under your knees if they don’t reach the floor. Twists should feel easy and spacious, never cranked.

5. Figure Four Stretch (30 Seconds Each Side)

Lie on your back, cross your right ankle over your left knee, and gently draw your left thigh toward you until you feel a stretch in your right glute. Switch sides.

Tight glutes and the piriformis muscle can pull on the pelvis and add to lower back and hip tension. This stretch targets both.

6. Cat Cow (10 Slow Reps)

Come onto your hands and knees with hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Breathe in as you let your belly drop and chest open, then breathe out as you round your back toward the ceiling.

Move one segment at a time and stay in a comfortable range. This is one of the best ways to gently move a stiff spine first thing in the morning.

7. Child’s Pose (45 Seconds)

From hands and knees, sit your hips back toward your heels and let your arms rest long on the floor. Widen your knees if your hips or belly need more room.

Breathe slowly into your back ribs. Put a pillow under your hips or chest if your knees or back don’t settle comfortably.

8. Half Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch (30 Seconds Each Side)

Kneel on a cushion with one foot forward. Tuck your tailbone slightly, squeeze the glute of the back leg, and shift your weight forward a little until you feel a stretch at the front of the back hip.

Keep your ribs down and avoid arching your lower back. The stretch should be in the front of the hip, not in your spine.

9. Seated Hamstring Stretch (30 Seconds Each Side)

Sit tall on the edge of a chair with one leg straight and the heel on the floor. Hinge forward from your hips with a long back until you feel a stretch behind the thigh. Switch sides.

Stiff hamstrings tug the pelvis under and can flatten the natural curve of the lower back. Hinging with a flat back protects your spine.

10. Sphinx Pose (30 Seconds)

Lie face down and prop yourself up on your forearms with elbows under your shoulders. Let your belly and hips relax into the floor and breathe slowly.

Many people with a stiff back find this gentle backward bend relieving. If it pinches or sends pain down a leg, lower yourself back down and skip it.

Coach Luke's Pick

Fitness & Workouts

Complete Plant-Based Protein

Clean, dairy-free protein to hold muscle and recover faster after every workout. Prefer whey? I review that one too.

Holds MuscleDairy-Free

Read My Honest Review →

✓ 90-Day Guarantee · Member Pricing

My honest review — contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no cost to you.

Lower Back and Hips: Why You Need Both

Your lower back and hips work as a team. If the hips can’t rotate or extend well, the lower back does the moving instead, which is why stretches 5, 8, and 9 matter as much as the back stretches themselves.

Stretching also works best alongside strength. Once the pain settles, a few core and glute exercises keep it from coming back. My guide to exercises for lower back pain relief covers the next step, and you can go deeper with core strengthening for lower back pain.

Stretches After a Workout and During Your Period

After a workout, your muscles are warm and ready to lengthen. A few minutes of the figure four, hip flexor, and hamstring stretches helps you leave the gym feeling loose instead of locked up.

Period back pain is common, and gentle stretching often helps. Child’s pose, the supine twist, and double knee to chest with slow belly breathing can ease cramping and that dull ache across the lower back. A warm compress afterward is a nice addition.

A Note on Herniated Disc Caution

If you have a diagnosed herniated or bulging disc, some stretches may help and others may irritate it. Deep forward bends and strong twists aggravate some discs, while gentle extension like sphinx pose suits others.

There is no one routine that fits every disc. Check with your doctor or a physical therapist before starting, and stop any move that sends pain, tingling, or numbness into your buttock or leg.

Common Mistakes with Lower Back Stretches

1. Pushing into pain. A mild stretch helps the muscles relax. Sharp or worsening pain tells them to tighten up and guard.
2. Bouncing. Bouncing into a stretch triggers a reflex that makes the muscle resist. Hold still and breathe instead.
3. Only stretching the back. If you skip the hips, glutes, and hamstrings, the lower back keeps doing their job.
4. Holding your breath. Slow breathing helps the nervous system relax so the muscles can let go.
5. Stretching once and quitting. One session rarely changes much. Short, daily practice is what builds lasting relief.

When to See a Doctor

Most lower back tightness is muscular and improves with gentle movement over a few days to weeks. Some signs point to something that needs a proper medical check, though.

See your doctor promptly if you have numbness, tingling, or weakness in your legs, pain after a fall or accident, fever or unexplained weight loss, or pain that wakes you at night or keeps getting worse.

Get urgent care right away for loss of bladder or bowel control or numbness in the groin or saddle area. These are rare, but they need same-day attention.

Quick Questions

Your This-Week Plan

1. Day 1: Try all ten stretches slowly and note which ones feel best.
2. Day 2: Do the full routine and add a 10-minute easy walk.
3. Day 3: Run the routine, then use stretches 6, 8, and 10 as desk breaks.
4. Day 4: Do the routine and add a gentle walk after dinner.
5. Day 5: Repeat the routine and try the after workout picks if you train.
6. Day 6: Do your favorite five stretches before bed.
7. Day 7: Run the full routine and rate your stiffness compared with Day 1.

This guide is part of my stretching, posture and back pain guide, where you’ll find stretches for every tight spot from your neck to your hamstrings.

The Bottom Line

Stretches for lower back pain work best when they’re gentle, daily, and include your hips and hamstrings. Move slowly, breathe, and stay in a comfortable range.

Give the routine a steady week or two, then add some core and glute strength to make the relief last. If red flag symptoms show up, see a doctor first.

This article is for general education and isn’t medical advice. If you have back pain after an injury, numbness or weakness in your legs, changes in bladder or bowel control, fever, or a diagnosed disc problem, see your doctor or a physical therapist before starting these stretches, and stop any move that causes sharp pain.