Lower back pain is incredibly common—about 80% of adults experience it at some point.1 For many people, it becomes a recurring problem that affects everything from sleep to work to daily activities.

The good news: most lower back pain isn’t caused by something serious. It’s usually muscular—weak core muscles, tight hip flexors, poor movement patterns, and prolonged sitting. And these causes respond well to exercise.

The exercises below are designed for general, non-specific lower back pain—the kind most people have. They strengthen weak muscles, stretch tight ones, and restore proper movement. But if you have severe pain, pain with numbness or tingling, or pain after an injury, see a healthcare professional first.

Why Exercise Helps Lower Back Pain

It might seem counterintuitive—if your back hurts, shouldn’t you rest it? But research consistently shows that movement is one of the best treatments for lower back pain.2

Here’s why:

Strengthening supports the spine. Your spine is surrounded by muscles—the core in front, the paraspinals in back, the obliques on the sides. When these muscles are strong, they share the load and reduce stress on spinal structures.

Stretching reduces muscle tension. Tight muscles can pull your spine out of alignment and compress sensitive structures. Stretching releases this tension.

Movement promotes healing. Gentle movement increases blood flow, which brings nutrients to healing tissues and clears out inflammatory byproducts.

Exercise breaks the pain cycle. When you’re in pain, you move less. Moving less causes more stiffness and weakness. More stiffness and weakness causes more pain. Exercise breaks this cycle.

The key is doing the right exercises, with proper form, and progressing gradually. Overdoing it can make things worse.

The Most Common Causes of Lower Back Pain

Understanding why your back hurts helps you target the right exercises.

Weak core muscles. Your core stabilizes your spine. When it’s weak, your spine relies on passive structures (discs, ligaments, joints) that aren’t meant to bear the load. See core exercises for posture.

Tight hip flexors. When you sit all day, your hip flexors shorten. This pulls your pelvis into anterior tilt, increasing the curve in your lower back and stressing the lumbar spine.

Weak glutes. Your glutes should be primary hip extensors. When they’re weak, your lower back muscles take over, leading to strain and pain.

Poor posture. Slouching, forward head position, and rounded shoulders all affect how forces travel through your spine.

Prolonged sitting. Static postures for hours create stiffness, compress discs, and weaken stabilizing muscles.

Poor movement patterns. Lifting incorrectly, bending without hip hinging, and twisting while loaded all stress the lower back.

Exercises for Lower Back Pain

These exercises target the muscles that support your lower back. They’re low-impact and can be done at home with no equipment.

Cat-Cow

Gently mobilizes the spine and relieves stiffness.

How to do it:

  1. Start on hands and knees, wrists under shoulders, knees under hips
  2. Inhale: Arch your back, lifting your head and tailbone (cow)
  3. Exhale: Round your back, tucking chin and tailbone (cat)
  4. Move slowly between positions

Do: 10-15 cycles

This is a great warm-up before other exercises and can be done several times a day when your back feels stiff.

Bird Dog

Strengthens the core and paraspinal muscles that stabilize your spine.

How to do it:

  1. Start on hands and knees, spine neutral
  2. Extend your right arm forward and left leg back
  3. Keep your hips level—don’t let them rotate
  4. Hold 3-5 seconds
  5. Return, switch sides

Do: 10 reps each side, 2-3 sets

Key: If your hips rock side to side, slow down. Control is more important than range.

Dead Bug

Builds core stability without putting pressure on your back.

How to do it:

  1. Lie on your back, arms reaching toward ceiling
  2. Knees bent 90 degrees (tabletop position)
  3. Press your lower back into the floor—maintain this throughout
  4. Lower right arm and left leg slowly, keeping back flat
  5. Return, switch sides

Do: 8-12 reps each side, 2-3 sets

Key: If your lower back arches off the floor, you’ve gone too far. Reduce the range of motion.

Glute Bridge

Strengthens your glutes and teaches them to activate, taking pressure off your lower back.

How to do it:

  1. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on floor
  2. Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips
  3. Create a straight line from shoulders to knees
  4. Don’t hyperextend—keep your ribs down
  5. Hold 2-3 seconds at top

Do: 15-20 reps, 2-3 sets

Progression: Single-leg glute bridges once you can do 20 reps easily.

Hip Flexor Stretch

Releases the tight hip flexors that contribute to lower back pain.

How to do it:

  1. Kneel on your right knee, left foot forward (half-kneeling)
  2. Tuck your tailbone under—this is crucial
  3. Shift forward slightly until you feel a stretch in your right hip
  4. Hold 30-45 seconds, switch sides

Key: If you arch your lower back, you’ll miss the stretch. Tuck the tailbone and keep your core engaged.

For more hip work, see our hip flexor stretches article.

Child’s Pose

A gentle stretch for the lower back and hips.

How to do it:

  1. Kneel and sit back on your heels
  2. Fold forward, reaching your arms out in front
  3. Let your forehead rest on the floor
  4. Breathe deeply and relax into the stretch
  5. Hold 30-60 seconds

This is great for breaks between other exercises or anytime your back feels tight.

Partial Curl (McGill Curl-Up)

Strengthens your abdominal muscles without the spinal flexion of traditional crunches.

How to do it:

  1. Lie on your back, one knee bent, one leg straight
  2. Place hands under your lower back to maintain its natural curve
  3. Brace your core like you’re about to be punched
  4. Lift your head and shoulders slightly (just a few inches)
  5. Hold 8-10 seconds, then lower

Do: 5-6 reps, switch which leg is bent, repeat. 3 sets total.

This is the spine-sparing alternative to crunches, developed by back researcher Dr. Stuart McGill.3

Side Plank

Strengthens your obliques and quadratus lumborum, which stabilize your spine laterally.

How to do it:

  1. Lie on your side, forearm on ground, elbow under shoulder
  2. Lift your hips so your body forms a straight line
  3. Don’t let your hips drop or rotate
  4. Hold 20-30 seconds, switch sides

Modification: Keep your bottom knee on the ground if the full version is too hard.

Do: 2-3 sets each side

Supine Piriformis Stretch

The piriformis can compress the sciatic nerve when tight, causing buttock and leg pain.

How to do it:

  1. Lie on your back, knees bent
  2. Cross right ankle over left knee
  3. Grab behind your left thigh and pull toward your chest
  4. You should feel the stretch in your right buttock
  5. Hold 30 seconds, switch sides

Sample Lower Back Pain Routine

Do this routine daily or every other day:

ExerciseSetsReps/Duration
Cat-Cow110-15 cycles
Bird Dog2-310 each side
Dead Bug2-38-10 each side
Glute Bridge2-315-20
Hip Flexor Stretch130-45 sec each
Child’s Pose130-60 sec
McGill Curl-Up2-35-6 reps
Side Plank2-320-30 sec each
Piriformis Stretch130 sec each

Total time: About 15-20 minutes

What to Avoid

Crunches and sit-ups. Repeated spinal flexion under load stresses the discs. Do McGill curl-ups instead.

Leg raises (from lying). Unless you have excellent core control, these often cause the lower back to arch and strain.

Toe touches. Bending forward with straight legs and a rounded back puts significant stress on the lumbar spine.

Heavy lifting (while in pain). Wait until your pain subsides and you’ve rebuilt core strength.

Pushing through sharp pain. Discomfort during exercise is normal. Sharp or increasing pain is not. Stop and reassess.

Beyond Exercise: Lifestyle Factors

Exercise is crucial, but other factors matter too:

Movement breaks. If you sit for long periods, stand up and move every 30-45 minutes. See desk posture exercises.

Posture. Poor sitting and standing posture stresses your lower back. Read our complete guide to fixing posture.

Sleep position. If you sleep on your back, put a pillow under your knees. If on your side, put one between your knees. Avoid stomach sleeping. More in sleeping positions for posture.

Stress. Stress causes muscle tension, and the lower back is a common place to hold it. Deep breathing and relaxation help.

Lifting technique. Hinge at the hips, keep the load close, brace your core, don’t round your back.

How Long Until You Feel Better?

This varies, but here’s a typical timeline with consistent exercise:

Week 1-2: Pain may fluctuate. You’re learning the movements.

Week 2-4: Pain intensity often starts to decrease. Core feels more stable.

Week 4-8: Significant improvement for most people. You can do more without pain.

Week 8+: Pain becomes less frequent or resolves. Focus shifts to maintenance and prevention.

If you’re not seeing improvement after 4-6 weeks of consistent exercise, see a healthcare provider.

When to See a Professional

See a doctor or physiotherapist if you have:

These could indicate something more serious than muscle-related back pain.

The Main Takeaway

Lower back pain is often a signal that something is out of balance—weak core, tight hips, poor movement patterns. The exercises above address these root causes.

Start gently. Build gradually. Be consistent. Most people see significant improvement within a few weeks.

Your back is designed to move. Help it do its job.

If you’re looking for a gentle daily stretching routine for your lower back, try these Lower Back Starter Stretches with cat-cow, lunges, and restorative floor work designed for beginners.

Related articles:

The Posture Workout app includes back-friendly routines with video guidance and progress tracking. Download it free →

References

  1. Hoy D, Bain C, Williams G, et al. A systematic review of the global prevalence of low back pain. Arthritis Rheum. 2012;64(6):2028-2037. See also: NCBI Bookshelf. Back Pain - StatPearls ↩︎

  2. Hayden JA, Ellis J, Ogilvie R, et al. Exercise therapy for chronic low back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021;9(9):CD009790. PubMed ↩︎

  3. McGill SM. Low back stability: from formal description to issues for performance and rehabilitation. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2001;29(1):26-31. See also: McGill SM. Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation. Human Kinetics; 2015. ↩︎