Stretches for Lower Back Pain
Also called: Lumbago, Low back pain, Lumbar pain, LBP.
Non-specific lower back pain is the most common musculoskeletal complaint worldwide — roughly four out of five adults experience it at some point. For the majority of cases (those without nerve involvement or red-flag symptoms), the conservative-care recommendation from major health authorities is consistent: stay gently active, avoid prolonged bed rest, and incorporate daily mobility work for the spine, hips, and posterior chain. The stretches below are the ones cited in Harvard Health and Mayo Clinic patient guides for non-specific lower back pain — gentle, repeatable, and safe for most people to try at home.
55 stretches commonly used for lower back pain
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Bridge Chest Opener
Lie on your back with knees bent, lift your hips into a bridge, interlace your hands beneath you on the floor, and roll your shoulders under to open the chest.
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Cat-Cow Stretch
On hands and knees, alternate between arching your back toward the ceiling on the exhale and letting your belly drop while lifting your head and tailbone on the inhale.
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Child's Pose (Balasana)
Kneel and sit back toward your heels, extend your arms forward on the floor, and relax your forehead down while sinking your chest toward the ground.
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Seated Thoracic Rotation
Sit tall in a chair, cross your arms over your chest, and slowly rotate your upper body to one side as far as comfortable while keeping your hips still and facing forward.
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Open Book Stretch
Lie on your side with knees stacked and both arms forward at shoulder height, then rotate your top arm back to open your chest like a book while following your hand with your eyes.
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Foam Roller Thoracic Extension
Place a foam roller perpendicular to your spine at mid-back level, support your head with your hands, and gently extend back over the roller to mobilize each thoracic segment.
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Standing Lat Stretch
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, reach one arm overhead and lean to the opposite side, feeling the stretch from your hip all the way up through the lat and shoulder. Alternate sides.
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Child's Pose with Lateral Arm Reach
From child's pose, walk both hands as far as possible to one side to create a crescent stretch in the opposite lat and shoulder, then switch sides.
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Knee-to-Chest Stretch
Lie on your back with both knees bent, pull both knees toward your chest with your hands, and hold while relaxing your shoulders and lower back into the floor.
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Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)
Lie on your back, draw one knee to your chest, guide it across your body with the opposite hand, extend the same-side arm out, and look away to feel the lumbar rotation.
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Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana)
Sit on the floor with legs straight in front, hinge at the hips and reach your hands toward your feet while keeping your spine as long as possible.
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Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)
Stand with feet hip-width apart, hinge at the hips and fold forward letting your hands reach toward the floor with a slight bend in the knees to protect the lower back.
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Sphinx Pose
Lie face down with legs extended, place your forearms flat on the floor under your shoulders, and gently press up to lift your chest while keeping your hips on the ground.
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Double Knee-to-Chest Stretch
Lie on your back, bring both knees to your chest, wrap your arms around your shins, and gently rock side to side to massage the lower back.
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Lower Back Bilateral Rotation
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat, let both knees fall together to one side while keeping your shoulders on the floor, breathe deeply, then switch.
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Seated Lower Back Twist
Sit tall on the floor, place one hand on the opposite knee and the other hand behind you for support, then twist your torso as far as comfortable. Alternate sides.
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Supine Pelvic Tilt
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat, gently flatten your lower back against the floor by contracting your abs and tilting the pelvis, hold briefly, then release.
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Prone Press-Up (McKenzie Extension)
Lie face down with hands under your shoulders and slowly press up to lift your chest while keeping your hips on the floor, hold briefly at the top, then lower.
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Standing Lateral Bend
Stand tall, reach one arm overhead and lean directly to the opposite side until you feel the stretch along your entire side from hip to fingertips. Alternate sides.
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Doorway Hang Spine Decompression
Grip a sturdy doorframe or pull-up bar overhead, allow your body to hang with feet lightly on the floor, and let the spine passively decompress under your body weight.
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Standing Side Bend
Stand with feet hip-width apart, reach one arm overhead, then lean smoothly to the opposite side to lengthen the lateral line of the body. Alternate sides.
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Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Lie face down with hands under your shoulders, press through your palms to lift your chest while keeping hips on the floor and drawing your shoulder blades together.
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Seated Oblique Stretch
Sit tall, raise one arm overhead and lean that arm away from your body while placing the other hand on your thigh, feeling the stretch along your oblique and side body. Alternate sides.
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Supine Lateral Stretch
Lie on your back with arms overhead, shift both arms and both legs to one side to create a crescent shape with your body, feeling the deep side stretch. Alternate sides.
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Gate Pose (Parighasana)
Kneel on one knee and extend the opposite leg straight out to the side, then reach the overhead arm in an arc over the extended leg to open the side body. Alternate sides.
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Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)
Stand with feet wide apart, turn one foot out 90 degrees, extend arms wide, and hinge sideways to bring one hand toward your shin while the opposite arm reaches skyward. Alternate sides.
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Crescent Lunge Side Bend
Come into a high lunge with both arms raised overhead, then lean both arms in an arc toward the side of the front leg while keeping your hips square forward. Alternate sides.
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Low Lunge Hip Flexor Stretch (Anjaneyasana)
Step one foot forward into a lunge, lower the back knee to the floor, shift your hips forward and down, and reach your arms overhead to deepen the hip flexor stretch. Alternate sides.
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Standing Hip Flexor Stretch
Stand tall, take a large step forward with one foot, squeeze the glute of the back leg, and tilt your pelvis forward to feel the stretch in the front of the back hip. Alternate sides.
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Lizard Pose (Utthan Pristhasana)
Step one foot to the outside of your same-side hand in a low lunge, lower your back knee to the floor, and sink your hips toward the ground for a deep hip flexor and groin stretch. Alternate sides.
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Deep Squat Hip Stretch (Malasana)
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and toes angled out, lower into a deep squat bringing your seat toward the floor, and press your elbows into the inside of your knees to open the hips.
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Standing Hip Circles
Stand with feet hip-width apart and hands on hips, then make large, slow circles with your pelvis to dynamically warm up and mobilize the entire hip joint.
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Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
Kneel on one knee with the opposite foot planted forward, tuck your tailbone under, squeeze the back glute, and shift your hips forward to stretch the hip flexor of the kneeling leg. Alternate sides.
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Couch Stretch
Kneel with one shin pressed flat against a wall behind you and the opposite foot planted forward in a lunge, then sit up tall and squeeze the back glute to drive the hip into extension. Use a pillow under your knee if needed, and place your hands on a stable object like a foam roller to help stabilize your arms. Alternate sides.
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Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana)
Lie on your back, bend both knees and bring them toward your armpits, hold the outside edges of your feet, and gently rock side to side to massage the lower back and open the hips.
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World's Greatest Stretch
Step into a deep lunge, place both hands inside the front foot, lower your back knee, then rotate the chest open by reaching the inside arm toward the ceiling and hold. Alternate sides.
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Seated Glute Stretch in Chair
Sit at the edge of a chair, cross one ankle over the opposite knee and lean forward from the hips with a flat back until you feel the stretch in the glute of the crossed leg. Alternate sides.
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Lying Glute Crossover Stretch
Lie on your back with one knee either slightly bent or straight, then pull that leg across your body with the opposite hand while keeping both shoulders flat on the floor to stretch the glute and lumbar rotators. Alternate sides.
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Seated Spinal Twist with Glute Emphasis
Sit tall with one leg extended out in front of you and the other knee bent. Rotate your upper body toward the bent knee and gently press your elbow against it to deepen the twist, then switch sides.
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Bridge Glute Hold
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat, press your feet into the floor and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees, squeezing the glutes at the top.
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Thomas Stretch (Hip Flexor Table Edge)
Lie on the edge of a table or bed, hug one knee to your chest, and let the opposite leg hang toward the floor to feel the hip flexor and quad stretch. Alternate sides.
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Couch Stretch Quad Variation
Kneel with one shin flat against a wall, place the other foot forward in a lunge, then sit up tall and tuck your pelvis to feel the intense quad and hip flexor stretch against the wall. Alternate sides.
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Runner's Lunge with Spinal Rotation
Step into a deep runner's lunge, place both hands inside the front foot, then rotate your torso to open the chest by reaching the inside arm toward the ceiling. Alternate sides.
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Standing Hamstring Stretch
Place one heel about 1 foot in front of you, or one step forward, and keep the leg straight. Hinge forward at the hips until you feel the pull along the back of the front leg. (You can put your heel on a step or chair if it is easier.) Alternate sides.
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Seated Single-Leg Hamstring Stretch
Sit on the floor with one leg extended and the other bent with sole against the inner thigh, then hinge forward over the straight leg keeping your back flat. Alternate sides.
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Supine Hamstring Stretch
Lie on your back, draw one knee to your chest then extend the leg toward the ceiling holding the back of the thigh or calf until you feel the stretch down the back of the leg. Alternate sides.
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Supine Hamstring Stretch with Towel
Lie on your back, loop a towel around one foot, extend the leg toward the ceiling, and use the towel to gently pull it closer while keeping your knee straight.
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Wide-Legged Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)
Stand with feet wide apart, hinge forward at the hips and walk your hands toward the floor between your feet, keeping your legs as straight as possible.
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Seated Straddle Stretch
Sit on the floor with legs spread wide apart, flex your feet, and hinge forward from the hips walking your hands out between your legs to feel the full posterior leg stretch.
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Resistance Band Hamstring Stretch
Lie on your back, loop a resistance band around one foot, extend the leg toward the ceiling, and use the band to gently pull the leg closer without bending the knee. Alternate sides.
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Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
From hands and knees, tuck toes under and lift hips toward the ceiling, straightening legs and pressing heels toward the floor to form an inverted V shape.
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Single-Leg Standing Forward Fold
Stand with feet hip-width apart, shift your weight onto one leg, hinge at the hips, lift the other leg back and up behind you, then fold over the standing leg while keeping your back long. Alternate sides.
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Half Splits (Ardha Hanumanasana)
From a low lunge, straighten the front leg and walk your hands back while flexing the foot, hinging your torso forward over the extended leg to feel the hamstring stretch. Alternate sides.
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Wall Hamstring Stretch
Lie on your back near a wall and extend one leg straight up the wall, adjusting your distance to control intensity, and relax completely into the gravity-assisted hamstring stretch. Alternate sides.
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Wall Hamstring Stretch for Knee Relief
Lie near a wall, place one leg straight up the wall and keep the other flat on the floor, adjusting your distance to control the intensity of the knee and hamstring stretch. Alternate sides.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best stretch for lower back pain?
There isn't one — there's a sequence. The "big three" from physical therapy programs for non-specific lower back pain are cat-cow (gentle spinal mobility), supine knee-to-chest (decompressive flexion), and pelvic tilt (motor control). Most people feel relief from 5–10 minutes of these three, done daily.
Should I stretch if my lower back hurts right now?
Gentle mobility is usually safe and helpful for non-specific back stiffness. Avoid any movement that produces sharp pain, leg numbness, or radiating pain. If symptoms include loss of bladder/bowel control, severe leg weakness, or pain after trauma, seek medical care immediately — those are red flags that need evaluation, not stretching.
How long until lower back pain improves with stretching?
Most episodes of non-specific lower back pain improve substantially within 4–6 weeks with a combination of gentle mobility, walking, and avoidance of prolonged sitting. If pain hasn't improved meaningfully in 6 weeks, see a healthcare provider for evaluation.
Is there a stretch I should avoid with lower back pain?
Toe-touch hamstring stretches that round the lower back, deep twists, and aggressive loaded forward folds tend to aggravate disc-related back pain. If you don't know the cause of your pain, start with the safe staples (cat-cow, knee-to-chest, supine pelvic tilt) and skip anything that increases symptoms.
Body Fix builds a personalized routine using the stretches above, with guided audio + video. Free on iOS.
Download Body FixThis page is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. See peer-reviewed sources for these recommendations, and always consult a qualified healthcare provider for new, severe, or persistent symptoms.