Moving your body is one of the most helpful things you can do for low back pain. Gentle, regular activity helps calm irritated tissues, improves blood flow, and supports the muscles that protect your spine. Staying active also helps you feel more confident in your movements, which is important because fear of pain can sometimes make symptoms last longer.
Research shows that exercise can improve pain and function for people with low back pain, and no single type of exercise is clearly better than another. The key is choosing movements you can do consistently and building them up over time1. Guidelines strongly recommend staying active rather than resting, since too much rest can slow recovery2.
Good exercises for low back pain
Not every exercise is right for every person. If a movement causes sharp pain or new symptoms, stop and consult a medical provider.
1. Seated AP pelvic tilt
Why it helps: Strengthens core and back muscles, as well as relieves lower back pain and stiffness often associated with prolonged sitting.
How to do it: Sit on a chair with good posture. Draw your belly button inwards, towards the back of the chair slightly, and tilt your pelvis backwards (i.e. flatten your spine towards the chair). Return to the start position by arching your back.
2. Bridge
Why it helps: Bridges strengthen your glutes, which support your lower back during standing, lifting, and walking. Strong glutes are linked with better function in people with low back pain1.
How to do it: Lie on your back with your knees bent. Press through your heels to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Lower with control.
3. Bird dog
Why it helps: This helps with balance, coordination, and deep core stability, which can support daily tasks like reaching or lifting. Start on hands and knees.
How to do it: On all fours, slowly reach one arm forward while extending the opposite leg back. Keep your hips steady. Return and switch sides.
4. Squat
Why it helps: Squats build leg and hip strength, which reduces strain on the lower back during daily chores. Exercise programs that include strength training can improve pain and daily function1.
How to do it: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a counter or chair for support. Bend your knees and sit your hips back slightly, then return to standing.
Sword outcome: Members who complete guided digital exercise programs for back pain report significant improvements in disability and satisfaction comparable to in-person care, with high adherence and safety5.
Helpful stretches for low back pain
1. Knee-to-chest stretch
How it helps: Relieves tension in the back of the leg that can pull on the irritated nerve.
How to do it: Start by placing one foot in front of the other. Bend your body forward, keeping the front knee straight. Push your knee downwards with your hands until you feel the back of your thigh stretching. Hold this position and do it to one side at a time.
2. Child's pose
How it helps: Loosens the small muscle in the buttock that can aggravate sciatic symptoms.
How to do it:Cross one ankle over the opposite knee, creating a figure-4 shape with your legs. Gently press down on the knee and lean forward from your hips as far as comfortable, keeping your back straight. You should feel your hip and glute stretching.
3. Seated hamstring stretch
How it helps: Looser hamstrings (back thigh muscles) can make bending and reaching feel easier.
How to do it: Start by placing one foot in front of the other. Bend your body forward, keeping the front knee straight. Push your knee downwards with your hands until you feel the back of your thigh stretching. Hold this position and do it to one side at a time.
4. Standing hamstring stretch
How it helps: Gently stretches the hamstring without putting too much compression on the tendon at the sit bone, which is important in proximal hamstring tendinopathy.
How to do it: While seated on the floor with your legs straight, bend one knee, placing the sole of your foot on the inside of your opposite thigh. With your arms, reach for the toes of your straight leg, stopping when you feel a gentle stretch. Hold this position for 10 seconds, repeat 2 to 3 times.
Did you know?
People who stay active during recovery tend to regain function faster than those who rest for long periods. Exercise programs can lead to meaningful improvements in pain and daily activity for chronic low back pain1. In Sword’s digital care programs, members who consistently complete guided exercises show strong improvements in pain and functional mobility3.
Exercises to avoid with low back pain
Some movements can increase irritation when your back is already sensitive. These are general guidelines, not strict rules. Movements should feel tolerable, not painful.
You may want to limit:
Heavy lifting with poor form
Deep forward bending if it increases leg symptoms
High-impact activities like jumping when your back is flared
Long periods of sitting without breaks
Clinical guidelines recommend choosing activities that do not increase your pain and using a gradual return as symptoms improve2
Clinical insight
Clinical guidelines recommend starting with movement and education as first-line care for low back pain. Exercise programs that include strength, mobility, and daily activity support can offer small to moderate benefits for pain and function compared to minimal care1.
