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From sleeping and exercising to walking, lower back pain can negatively impact many aspects of your life. When you're dealing with aches and debilitating soreness from lower-back pain, there's a good chance all you want to do is stay in bed.
However, doing a combination of strength, aerobic exercises, and stretching two to three times a week can help prevent and ease lower back pain.
Listed below are six great exercises that will help you ease your lower back pain.
Knee-to-chest stretch, child's pose, and 4 other simple exercises to relieve lower back pain
1) Supine Stretch
Stretching your lower back and glutes is a great way to reduce pain as it releases tension in those areas.
How to do the exercise correctly:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Extend your arms out to the sides in a T position.
- Keep your knees on the ground as you gently roll to one side and then to the other.
- Stay in this position for 20 to 30 seconds. Return to the center and repeat on the other side if you are comfortable.
- If this is too much of a stretch, place a pillow or stack of blankets under your knees when you turn to each side.
2) Knee-to-chest stretch
This pose lengthens the lower back muscles that have become contracted due to stress and poor posture.
How to do the exercise correctly:
- To do a knee-to-chest stretch, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Bring your hands to rest behind your knees.
- Gently pull both knees toward your chest, holding for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Return to starting position.
3) Cat-Cow Stretch
This pose is followed by a gentle rocking motion that stretches the low-back muscles in two directions and helps release tension.
How to do the exercise correctly:
- To do the cat/cow stretch, lie on your hands and knees with your spine parallel to the ground.
- Round your back to make it concave, as if you are a crescent moon.
- Hold the contraction for five seconds and release as you arch your lower back upward.
- Repeat this movement for 30 seconds or longer.
4) Child's Pose
This yoga pose, known as a spinal extension, can help relieve pain by gently stretching the muscles in the lower back.
How to do the exercise correctly:
- Lie on your belly with your legs together and extended behind you.
- Bend your elbows so that your upper arms are parallel to the floor, with your forearms perpendicular to the floor.
- Rest the top of your head on the mat.
- Your upper arms should be resting on the floor with elbows slightly bent, with palms facing upward.
5) Bridge Pose
To relieve tension around the lower back, soften around your sacrum and lengthen through the sit bones to help activate your lower gluteus maximus. This will support your lower back and release pain.
How to do the bridge pose correctly:
- To do bridge pose, start by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet planted firmly on the floor.
- Keep your feet hip-width apart, with your heels close to your glutes.
- Press down into the floor to lift your hips.
- From here, try to soften around your sacrum as you lengthen through the sit bones toward your knees.
- Hold for as long as you like.
6) Half Lord of the Fishes
Ardha Matsyendrasana, also known as Seated Twist or Half Lord of the Fishes, helps improve posture and spinal mobility in those with lower back pain.
Don't allow your lower back to collapse as you twist. Instead, focus on lengthening the sides of your waist. When you have lower back pain, remember that twisting is best done in small increments.
How to do the exercise correctly:
- If you're new to this pose, start by sitting with your legs extended in front of you.
- Lift your right leg, bend your left knee, and place the sole of your left foot on the outside of your right hip.
- Ground down through your hip bones as you lengthen through your spine, then reach back with one hand to grab hold of your right ankle or shin.
- Gently twist from side to side for five to eight breaths (or longer).
Wrapping up
These exercises will help you gradually build up your strength and flexibility. They will also aid you in dealing with various aspects of your lower back pain.
By giving yourself a healthier body through exercise, you will likely find that you can manage lower back pain on your own.
If you find that your lower back pain is too great to handle alone, please consult with a medical professional.
