For some, low back pain is challenging and may be debilitating. Now, however, you can have an excellent way to ease your suffering with these five effective lower back pain stretches. Give these stretches a go and see how much better you and your back feel.
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1. Double Knees to Chest
Lie on your back on the floor. Relax the upper body. Bend both knees and pull them toward your chest. Hold to that position for a couple of seconds, then bring them back down. You are looking for a stretch in the lower back seat area.
If it’s difficult for you to do this exercise on the floor because of your lower back pain, you can do the stretches in your bed. That way, it will be easy for you to get on and off.
Start with one set of 2 reps. Perform this exercise for a hold of a couple of seconds, and then build it up for 20 seconds. The intensity is light. You are looking for a light stretch in the lower back, hip and pelvis area.
2. Single Knee to Chest
Lie on your back on the floor. Relax the upper body. Bend one knee and pull it toward your chest. You are looking for a stretch in the low back and pelvis area.
When it comes to the hand positions, if you have knee pain, the first thing is you can pull the knee toward you from the hamstrings. Then, if you can’t bend your knee that much, you can place your hands on the top of the knee. The second thing is if your leg is straight, you’ll feel more stretch, and that will be uncomfortable to your lower back.
In that case, what you can do is bend one knee to put the lower back into a better, more comfortable position. Then, you do the single knee to chest exercise.
Single Knee to Chest
Start with one set of 2 reps, alternating back and forth. Perform this exercise with a hold of 3 to 5 seconds, and then move to a 20-second hold. The intensity is light. We are doing a static stretch. You are looking for a light stretch in the lower back and pelvis area.
3. Single-leg Twist
Lie on your back on the floor and put your hands out to the side and relax. Drop your whole body. Bend one knee and bring it across your body. Rotate through the pelvis and low back area while maintaining your shoulders on the floor.
The opposite shoulder might lift but use your one hand to keep it on the floor. Then, switch to the opposite side and repeat the movement.
Single-leg Twist
Start with one set of 2 reps on each side, alternating back and forth. Perform this exercise for a hold of 20 seconds. The intensity is light to moderate. This exercise is an intense stretch and puts a lot of rotation and twisting in the low back area.
Alternative Exercise: Double Knee Side-to-Side Exercise
Lie on your back on the floor. Bend your knees and put your feet together. Drop your knees to one side as far as you can, and then drop them to the other side.
This is the alternative exercise that you can do if the single leg twist is too much for your back.
4. Forward Fold
Begin in a nice, upright standing position. Feet are both hip-width apart and slightly bend your knees. Bend through the pelvis, then bend through the low back area and hang your arms and your body forward. Hold to that position for a couple of seconds, and then go back to start position.
Forward Fold
Start with one set of 2 reps. Perform this exercise for a hold of 3 to 5 seconds then progress to 20 seconds hold. The intensity is light. You might feel a stretch in your hamstring and glute areas.
Some people might feel a bit of stretch traction on their low back area. It all depends on where your tightness is. If your tightness is in your hamstrings and glutes, that’s probably where you’ll feel the stretch. If your tightness is in your spine, then that’s where you’ll feel the effective lower back pain stretches.
5. Pigeon Pose
This exercise stretches out the rotators of the hip. With back pain, you often get tightness in the hip, and we work on stretching it out with this pigeon pose exercise.
Begin in a push-up position. Bring your left leg up across, and then lean into that leg and stretch out the rotators of the hip.
Pigeon Pose
Start with one set of 2 reps alternating back and forth. Perform this exercise for a hold of 3 to 5 seconds, and then progress to 20 seconds hold. The intensity is light. We’re looking out and working on the rotators of the hips.
Give these five exercises a go. They are very effective lower back pain stretches when it comes to low back pain.
If you are sick and tired of not knowing what to do about your low back pain flare-up, then check out the Low Back Pain Solved program, here!
Take care!
Rick Kaselj, MS