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Stretching your low back muscles can help improve flexibility and therefore the range of motion in the joints of the lower back. This may be an effective manner to reduce muscle tightness. However low back stretching exercises can sometimes do more harm than good. Please consult your healthcare professional  for more advice.

Always consult a therapist first, to determine if this low back exercise is good for you. If you don't have a therapist yet, please find one near you by using our therapist map. 

Special note: Standing up straight, grab your right ankle. Bring your ankle towards the back of your leg. Hold this position for 15-20 seconds. The stretch should be felt in the front of the leg, or the quadricep muscles. Repeat on the opposite side. Make sure you feel for a stretch in your back while practicing this exercise. Stretching should not be too powerful or painful as this can have harmful effects. Move until you feel that the muscle stretches; stop before you feel a pain signal. If you experience lower back pain or middle back pain, consult your healthcare professional  first before continuing with this exercise.

List of conditions which may benefit from this exercise

A diagnosis or exercise prescription for the following conditions can only be done by a medical doctor or your healthcare professional . This list has merely been given to discuss this with your therapist.

  • Mechanical low back pain, middle back pain, upper back pain, neck pain, pelvic pain.
  • Low back herniated disc, sciatica

General tips for lower back exercises

  1. Frequency: Stretching exercises are effective in reducing stiffness and improving mobility. The frequency depends on your goal. Doing more exercises than daily is not always necessary. Please discuss this with your healthcare professional .
  2. Combine: Do not only do one exercise a time, but combine them with similar exercises to have a more powerful effect. As an average a total of 3-4 mobility exercises can be advised.
  3. Warming up: These low back exercises should preferably not be done within the first 5-10 minutes of getting out of bed in the morning. For example walking around or taking a shower is enough to promote blood flow and start up mobility. Hereafter gently starting with mobility exercises is possible.
  4. Low back pain: Pain is a warning signal, therefore never ignore pain. Mobility exercises should be done with care since this may worsen your complaint. Do not continue with this exercise if you experience low back pain, please ask your healthcare professional  for more information.
  5. Speed: Do not rush. This exercise should be done slowly.
  6. Stay alert: think about doing the exercise rather than performing the exercise automatically.
  7. Perform smooth and gentle: Avoid bouncing while slowly moving into the stretch.
  8. Wear comfortable clothes while exercising.
  9. Move freely: Always exercise on a clean and flat surface with enough space to move freely.
  10. Low back pain risk factors: Change your life style to prevent or minimize low back complaints. Even a small postural change can make a big difference. The most important thing to remember is that the best sitting posture is a variable posture. Therefore change your posture every ten to fifteen minutes!

Did you know?

Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide (Global Burden of Disease 2010).