Lower back stretches: 8 gentle stretches and when to stop.

Short answer: for everyday lower back stiffness, gentle movement beats rest. Cat–cow, child's pose, a half-kneeling hip flexor stretch, a seated glute stretch and a lat stretch cover the muscles that pull on the lower back. Hold each 20–30 seconds, breathe slowly through the nose, and never push into sharp pain. If pain comes with numbness, weakness, fever, or bladder or bowel changes, stop and get medical help. This is education, not a diagnosis.

Why the lower back gets stiff. The lower back rarely works alone. Tight hip flexors from long sitting, stiff glutes and tight lats all attach near the pelvis and spine and change how it moves. That is why a good lower back routine stretches the hips and upper back as much as the lower back itself.

What the research supports. The American College of Physicians' 2017 guideline on low back pain recommends non-drug approaches first for most people, including exercise, and the UK's NICE guideline (NG59) recommends exercise as part of managing low back pain. Stretching is one piece of that — staying active and gradually building strength matters too.

1. Cat–Cow. On hands and knees, slowly round the spine up as you exhale, then let the belly drop and chest open as you inhale. Eight to ten slow reps. Move only through a comfortable range.

2. Child's Pose With Side Reach. Sit the hips back toward the heels, arms long. Walk both hands to one side to lengthen the side of the back and lats. 20–30 seconds each side.

3. Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch. One knee down, the other foot forward. Tuck the pelvis slightly and squeeze the glute of the back leg until you feel the front of the hip open. Don't arch the lower back to fake the range. 20–30 seconds each side.

4. Seated Cross-Leg Glute Stretch. Sitting tall, cross one ankle over the opposite knee and hinge gently forward from the hips. 20–30 seconds each side.

5. Kneeling Bench Lat Stretch. Elbows on a bench, hips back, head between the arms. The lats connect to the lower back through the thoracolumbar fascia; easing them often eases the back. 20–30 seconds.

6. Knees-to-chest (supported). Lying on your back, draw both knees gently toward the chest with your hands. Easy pressure only. 20–30 seconds.

7. Supine twist. On your back, let both bent knees fall slowly to one side while the shoulders stay down. 20–30 seconds each side, breathing into the ribs.

8. Glute bridge (as movement, not a hold). Lie on your back, feet flat, and lift the hips by squeezing the glutes. Ten slow reps. Strong glutes share the load the lower back often carries alone.

How often. Once or twice a day is reasonable for general stiffness. Easy intensity — around 3 or 4 out of 10 — is the goal. Stretching should feel like relief, not a fight.

When to stop and see a clinician. Stop and seek medical care if back pain comes with numbness around the groin or inner thighs, new bladder or bowel problems, leg weakness, fever, unexplained weight loss, pain after a fall or accident, or pain that is getting steadily worse or wakes you at night. Those are red flags that need a professional, not a stretch.

Cat–cow, child's pose, the hip flexor, glute and lat stretches all have pictures and step-by-step cues in the Cerebral Physique Stretching Library, and the Pain Protocol page covers exercise swaps that let you keep training around a sore back. If you want a full plan that builds the strength to go with it, the free 12-week program is a good place to start.