Lower Back Stretches
Lower back stiffness is the single most common reason adults search for stretches online. The good news: the lower back rarely needs to be stretched directly. It needs to move — gentle flexion, extension, and rotation — and it needs the muscles around it (hips, glutes, hamstrings, core) to do their share so the spine isn't compensating. The stretches below are the conservative-care staples recommended by Harvard Health, Mayo Clinic, and the NHS for non-specific lower back pain: cat-cow for spinal mobility, knee-to-chest and child's pose for gentle flexion, pelvic tilt for control, and supine spinal twist for rotation.
33 lower back stretches in the Body Fix library
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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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Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
Kneel with hips over knees, reach your hands back to your heels, push your hips forward, and arch your upper back to deeply open the chest and hip flexors.
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Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)
Lie face down, bend both knees and reach back to grasp your ankles, then kick your feet into your hands to lift your chest and thighs off the floor simultaneously.
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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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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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Standing Backbend
Stand with feet hip-width apart, place your hands up in the air or place your hands on your lower back for support, and gently arch backward lifting your chest toward the ceiling.
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Tricep Wall Fold Stretch
Face a wall and place both hands flat on it at shoulder height, then walk your feet back and fold your torso forward at right angles with arms straight to feel the shoulder and tricep stretch.
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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 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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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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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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Standing Quad Stretch with Forward Lean
Stand on one leg, hold the opposite ankle behind you, then hinge slightly forward at the hip to increase the stretch in the quad and anterior hip. 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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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.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I stretch my lower back?
Daily — but briefly. 5–10 minutes of gentle mobility (cat-cow, pelvic tilt, knee-to-chest) in the morning and again before bed is the pattern most physical therapists recommend for non-specific lower back stiffness. Long held stretches are not the goal; gentle repeated movement is.
Is it safe to stretch a sore lower back?
Mild stiffness usually responds well to gentle stretching. Sharp pain, pain that radiates down a leg, numbness, weakness, or pain after trauma are different — those warrant a healthcare evaluation before any home exercise. When in doubt, start with positions of comfort (knee-to-chest, child's pose) and avoid anything that increases pain.
Why does my lower back feel worse in the morning?
Discs rehydrate overnight, making the lumbar spine slightly stiffer first thing. Gentle supine knee-to-chest, pelvic tilts, and cat-cow in the first 10 minutes after waking tend to help the most. If morning back pain is severe or lasts more than an hour after rising regularly, mention it to your provider — inflammatory back conditions present this way.
Get guided audio, video, and a timer for every stretch with Body Fix 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.