It might sound simple but a few easy yoga stretches for lower back pain may help ease symptoms and prevent future flair-ups.
Lower back pain gets a lot of attention - and for good reason. It's something most of us have likely experienced at some point, given that it tends to affect more women than men and gets worse during periods of hormonal fluctuation - like perimenopause. If it's a problem for you, you'll know that even the slightest twinge and ache can affect your daily life and make basic routines, like exercise or sleeping, so much harder.
While medical help is always the first point of call, and treatments such as painkillers or physiotherapy can effectively relieve the pain, gentle physical activity (such as yoga stretches for beginners or a 15-minute Pilates workout) done right can also make a difference, reducing pain and helping us sleep better, research led by the Cleveland Clinic shows.
Indeed, Sophia Drozd - a yoga instructor and founder of Yoga 4 Pain - says yoga “can help to lengthen and strengthen the spine releasing lower back pain, as well as improving flexibility and mobility, which can improve posture and spine alignment. Gentle mindful movements, coupled with conscious breathwork can help reduce tension and perception of pain”. Want to try it for yourself? Grab your yoga mat - here's a physio-approved routine, created by Drozd, to follow.
Yoga stretches for lower back pain
1. Cat-cow
- Start in a tabletop position on all fours making sure your knees are aligned under your hips and hands under your shoulders.
- Inhale to move into Cow pose; shining your sit bones, expanding your belly, lifting your chest with a gaze forward. Breathe into the compression in your lower back.
- Exhale to Cat pose; tuck in your tailbone while hugging your navel in, arching through the top of the back and drawing your chin to chest. Explore moving from Cat to Cow for up to two minutes.
2. Gate pose floss
- From a tabletop position extend one leg out to the side.
- Exhale and push your hips back to the back of the mat, extending your arms forward.
- Inhale, hug your navel in, and roll forward, aligning your shoulders back over your hands.
- Continue flossing front to back for up to a minute and repeat with the opposite leg.
3. Lizard crawl
- Start in a tabletop position and then step one leg forward into an L shape and to the edge of the mat
- Place your hands in line with the inner arch of your foot at the front of the mat.
- Inhale and walk your hands to the opposite leg (as far as feels comfortable) then exhale and walk your hands back.
- Continue for up to a minute and repeat on the opposite side.
4. Supine twist
- Lie on your back and hug your knees towards your chest.
- Bring your left hand to the outside of your right leg and put your right hand on the ground.
- Slowly roll to the left side with your legs in a fetal position supported by the ground. Your left hand can rest on top of your right knee.
- If the spinal twist is too intense, you can move your right hand from the floor to the top of your right hip and place a cushion under your legs to bring the ground closer to you.
- Hold this position for up to a minute focusing on your breath, softening into the hold with each outward breath. Repeat on the opposite side.
5. Reclined elevated hip circles
- From a reclined position, lift your hips and place a cushion or bolster under your bottom and lower back.
- Engage your core, hug your navel in, bring your feet together and open your knees into a diamond shape.
- Slowly circly your hips around and repeat in the opposite direction.
- If this feels too intense, keep your knees together.
- Circle round with long breaths for up to a minute.
6. Legs up wall variation
- A wall isn’t actually needed for this pose. Start from the same position as above with a bolster under your bottom/lower back and then slowly lift one leg and then the other with a soft bend in the knees.
- Hold this position, with your legs straight up in the air for a minute, or as long as you feel comfortable, focusing on your breath and waves of relaxation.
- You should feel sensations of weightlessness in the hips and pain being released from the lower back.
Why does yoga help lower back pain?
Doing yoga regularly can promote spinal mobility and increase body awareness, while also developing strength and flexibility in your core, glutes and back extensor muscles, says Florence Penny, a physiotherapist at Flow Physio. “These exercise techniques also help to reduce stress and muscle tension encouraging movement without overloading the spine,” she explains.
“A gentle yoga flow such as a gentle Hatha, Yin Yoga, or Restorative yoga flow can be fantastic for calming the nervous system, which is heightened when in pain. It encourages deep relaxation, gentle stretching and supportive postures to relieve tension and promote healing,” she says.
Having a yoga mat with a little extra thickness can be very useful when doing yoga stretches for lower back pain by helping to support your spine on the floor. This one is first on our list of tried and tested thick yoga mats thanks to the 6mm of support and premium materials for under £50.
As demonstrated by Drozd, the elevated hip circles and wall variation require a yoga pillow to support the lower back. This one from Yoga Matters is made from 100% organically grown cotton and is filled with recycled polyester fibre.
Prefer natural materials? This yoga pillow - also sold at Healf - is filled with organic buckwheat, a durable and supportive material and moulds to your body shape. It's also a good choice for Drozd's stretches.
Which movements should you avoid with lower back pain?
You’ll know which movements cause you more lower back pain and if you’ve been told to avoid exercise by a medical expert or physio, you should follow this advice. However, Penny says there are some movements you should be wary of doing if you have a sore back. This includes prolonged sitting or staying in one position for too long.
High-impact activities such as running or jumping are also not recommended, and forcing your body into a painful stretch is also a bad idea. “We naturally think that a stretch will help. However, forcing a movement can often do more harm than good, potentially increasing irritation and discomfort,” says Penny.
Drozd also says you should avoid deep back bends and take caution when doing deep twists and folds. “Although these may feel good, move with mindfulness, don't explore too much depth and stay present. You can support poses with cushions and blankets to make the poses softer and supportive.”
She says you should always make your teacher aware of your pain or injury and request alternatives if positions will aggravate your condition.
Is yoga or Pilates better for lower back pain?
Our experts agree both yoga and Pilates are beneficial for managing back pain. Drozd says: “Yoga is great because it is super mindful, soft and supportive with gentle stretches that improve flexibility, create space and release tension.” She says yoga stretches for lower back pain can also be adapted as part of a chair workout or done in bed if easier too.
Drozd recommends Pilates for building core strength and muscle, which helps with back pain. “Pilates might be more beneficial for a dull aching pain that reduces with movement,” she says.
Equally, you could try wall Pilates or Pilates for beginners if you're new to the activity to take it slowly. Penny says: “I really believe initially in at-home pieces or equally small classes whereby one can really explore movement slowly and not feel like they have to keep up within a fast-paced class when suffering with pain.” She recommends trying a programme which focuses on strength, balance and flexibility.
There's no 'one size fits all' with yoga stretches for lower back pain though, the experts say. When it comes to back pain, make sure to focus on your individual needs.
