Tight lower back and hip pain happen due to long periods of sitting. These simple stretches are done lying in bed or on a soft surface or yoga mat and only take about 10 minutes to complete both your left and right sides. To start, lie down in a comfortable position with your legs straight. 

🦵🏻Exercise #1 – Knee-to-Chest Stretch

  • Bend one of your legs up and give it a nice gentle pull into your chest.
  • Pull your leg in, to the point where it’s comfortable; it should not be painful.
  • Once in this position, hold for 30 seconds and repeat this exercise twice on both your right and left side.

🦵🏻Exercise #2 – Piriformis Stretch (aka Figure 4)

  • Start by lying down with your legs straight. Bend both legs up, and cross your left leg over the right knee (creating a figure 4 with your legs).
  • Once in position hold for 30 seconds and repeat this exercise twice on both your right and left side.

Another option for this exercise is to stay seated in a chair. Watch this video from our Facebook page for an example.

🦵🏻Exercise #3 Hamstring Stretch

  • Start by lying down with your legs straight.
  • Begin the stretch by bringing your left leg up into a bent position with your hands behind your left knee.
  • Then start to straighten out your left leg as much as you can, until you get a nice stretch in your hamstring muscles, down the back of your leg.
  • The goal is to feel the stretch behind your knee and up your leg even into your lower back. Once in position hold for 30 seconds and repeat this exercise twice on both your right and left side.

🦵🏻Exercise #4 – Hip Adductor Stretch (aka Butterfly)

  • For this exercise, get into a seated position with the soles of your feet together.
  • Then with your hands on your feet and arms on the inside of your legs, use your elbows to push down on both of your knees.
  • From this position the more you push down on your knees the more that’s going to stretch your inner hip or groin muscles on the inner side of your thighs.
  • Once in this position hold for 30 seconds and repeat this exercise twice.

If you are having a hard time with this stretch due to extra tightness or lack of mobility there is an alternative way to stretch. To begin this alternative stretch, start by sitting up with both legs out straight in front of you. Then pull in your left leg to place the sole of your foot against your right knee. Then stretch your left knee downwards by pushing your elbow into it. You should feel that same stretch as listed above. Once in this alternative position hold for 30 seconds and repeat this exercise twice on both your right and left side.

🦵🏻Exercise #5 – Hip Flexor Stretch

This last stretch targets your hip flexors.

  • To start, kneel on your left side with your right leg forward.
  • Once kneeling, lean forward into that right leg and contract/ squeeze your glutes to rock your hips further backward.
  • The goal is to feel this stretch right through the front of your hip and hip flexor muscles. These muscles have attachments on your lower back vertebrae and can get tight when you spend a lot of time seated, which can cause lower back pain.
  • Doing this stretch daily can be a great way to eliminate that tightness and pain in your lower back. Once in position hold for 30 seconds and repeat this exercise twice on both your right and left side.
Summary These five exercises are a great way to keep your hips and lower back from getting tight. Spending just 10 minutes a day can help you avoid lower back pain and enjoy better physical mobility.