6 Proven Lower Back Pain Exercises Doctors Recommend (At Home)
This is a six-exercise lower back routine that needs no equipment and can be done on a bedroom floor. It runs in a deliberate order: cat-cow to warm the spine, bird dog to build stability, glute bridges to load the hips instead of the back, knee-to-chest and a supine spinal twist to release, and child’s pose to finish. The video recommends doing it once a day, ideally in the morning.
What are the six lower back exercises?
| Exercise | Purpose | Prescription |
|---|---|---|
| Cat-cow | Warms and mobilises the whole spine | 10 full rounds, 2 seconds in each position, breath-led |
| Bird dog | Trains stability so the pain does not keep returning | Opposite arm and leg, hold 3 to 5 seconds, 8 to 10 reps per side |
| Glute bridges | Loads the glutes so the lower back stops compensating | 12 to 15 reps, 2 to 3 second hold at the top |
| Knee to chest | Decompresses the lower spine | 20 to 30 seconds per side, then both knees together; two rounds each side |
| Supine spinal twist | Restores rotation | 20 to 30 seconds per side, two rounds, shoulders kept flat |
| Child’s pose | Lengthens the spine and settles the nervous system | 30 to 60 seconds, walking the hands right and left to bias each side |
How do you know a glute bridge is working the right muscles?
The video gives a clear checkpoint: you should feel a glute bridge in the glutes and hamstrings, not the lower back. If you feel it in the back, lower the hips slightly and focus on squeezing the glutes before lifting. For the spinal twist, it advises never forcing the rotation, and notes that a gentle crack or pop is normal provided there is no pain.
Read the research behind it
Our written guide to the same problem is how to fix lower back pain with exercise, which sets out what the evidence supports and where it is weaker. Because prolonged sitting is the usual background cause, does exercise offset sitting? is worth reading alongside it, as is our article on tight hip flexors. Back pain that is severe, persistent, or comes with numbness or weakness needs a clinician rather than a routine.
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