Guide
Stretches for lower back pain
Stretching can make a stiff back feel better in the moment. It works best as the warm-up and cooldown of a routine that also builds strength.
Key takeaways
- Gentle stretches ease stiffness, especially in the morning and after long sitting.
- Hold each stretch for about 30 seconds and breathe. It should feel like a pull, never sharp pain.
- Stretching alone is not a full program. Pair it with core and strength work for longer-term results.
Does stretching help lower back pain?
Stretching tends to help most with stiffness: the locked-up feeling after sleep or a long day in a chair. It is gentle, needs no equipment, and is easy to do daily.
The research on exercise for back pain is mostly about programs that combine several kinds of movement, including strength and stability work, rather than stretching alone 12. NICE also recommends exercise programs rather than any single technique 3. So the useful way to think about stretching is as the warm-up and cooldown of a routine, not the whole routine.
Six gentle stretches to try
- Cat-cow stretch: 10 slow reps. Round and arch through a comfortable range on hands and knees.
- Child’s pose for back pain: hold about 40 seconds. Sit back toward your heels with your arms long.
- Figure-4 stretch: about 30 seconds per side for the glutes.
- Lying hamstring stretch: about 30 seconds per side, lying down so your back stays supported.
- Hip flexor stretch: about 30 seconds per side, useful if you sit a lot.
- Open-book rotation: 8 per side for the upper and middle back.
When to stretch
- In the morning. Cat-cow and child’s pose are easy ways to loosen up. Why mornings feel worst covers the rest.
- After sitting. The hip flexor stretch and open-book rotation undo some of a long desk day. See back pain from sitting.
- After strength work. Remedy finishes every session with a recovery stretch like child’s pose, the figure-4, or the hamstring stretch.
How to stretch safely
- Ease in slowly and breathe. No bouncing.
- Aim for a mild pull. If it is sharp, back off.
- Tingling or shooting pain down a leg is a nerve-related feeling, not a muscle stretch. Ease off, and if it keeps happening, get it checked. The when to see a doctor guide lists the warning signs.
Going beyond stretching
If stretching makes your back feel better for an hour but the stiffness keeps coming back, the missing piece is usually strength and stability. Core exercises for back pain and the lower back exercise guide cover that side.
How Remedy fits
In Remedy, mobility and recovery stretches are built into the warm-up and cooldown of every session, so they never drop out as the strength work gets harder. If you tell the app mornings are your worst time, stretches aimed at morning stiffness are more likely to show up. How the program is built.
Exercises in this guide
Cat-cow stretch
An all-fours movement that alternates rounding and arching your spine.
Stretches and recoveryChild’s pose for back pain
A resting stretch where you sit back toward your heels with your arms stretched out in front.
Stretches and recoveryFigure-4 stretch
A stretch for the glutes and the piriformis, done lying on your back with one ankle crossed over the opposite knee.
Stretches and recoveryLying hamstring stretch
A hamstring stretch done lying on your back, holding behind your thigh and straightening the knee.
MobilityHip flexor stretch
A lunge-position stretch for the front of the hip.
MobilityOpen-book rotation
A side-lying rotation for the upper and middle back.
Questions
How long should I hold a stretch for back pain?
About 30 seconds is a common target for static stretches like the figure-4 or hamstring stretch, repeated once or twice. Moving stretches like cat-cow are done as slow reps instead.
Is it OK to stretch every day?
Gentle stretches like these are generally fine daily, and many people find them most useful first thing in the morning or after a long stretch of sitting.
Should stretching hurt?
No. You should feel a mild pull. Sharp pain, or tingling and numbness down a leg, is a sign to ease off.
Sources
- Hayden JA, et al. Exercise therapy for chronic low back pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2021;CD009790.
- Owen PJ, et al. Which specific modes of exercise training are most effective for treating low back pain? Network meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2020;54(21):1279-1287.
- Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s: assessment and management (NG59). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2016, updated 2020.
- Back pain (NHS Health A to Z). NHS, 2026.
This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. How we write our guides.
