3 Stretches for a Cranky Lower Back

If your lower back starts complaining by the end of the day — whether it's from sitting too long, standing too long, or just life — you don't need a full class to find relief. These three stretches take less than 5 minutes and target the exact muscles that tend to tighten up and cause that dull, achy pain in your low back.

Cat-Cow

From tabletop position, alternate between arching your back (cow) and rounding it (cat) for 8–10 slow rounds, moving with your breath. This mobilizes your spine one segment at a time and works the erector spinae and deep stabilizing muscles that run along your spine. It also increases circulation in the spinal joints, which makes it one of the best ways to warm up a stiff, achy back first thing.

Sphinx Pose

Lying on your stomach, prop up onto your forearms with elbows under your shoulders, and hold for 45 seconds. This gentle backbend strengthens and lengthens the muscles along your spine while stretching your abdominals and hip flexors. It restores some natural extension to your lower back right after the rounding of Cat-Cow.

Knees-to-Chest

Lying on your back, hug both knees into your chest and hold for 45–60 seconds. This stretches your lower back muscles and glutes while gently decompressing your lumbar spine — a calming way to close out the sequence. It's also a classic pose for relieving gas and bloating, so if a heavy day of sitting has your stomach feeling off too, this one does double duty.

Try these three back to back next time your low back is talking to you — no equipment, no experience needed, just a few minutes of floor space.

Want to follow along? Find these stretches in our YouTube video here.