Die besten Dehnübungen für den unteren Rücken: Ein umfassender Guide

Die meisten von uns leiden irgendwann im Leben unter Schmerzen im unteren Rücken.

Selbst kleine Verspannungen können als belastend empfunden werden, besonders, wenn sie dein Training beeinträchtigen oder dich in deinem täglichen Leben einschränken.

Aber glücklicherweise gibt es etwas, das wir alle tun können, um die Wahrscheinlichkeit von neu auftretenden Schmerzen zu senken und bereits bestehende Schmerzen zu lindern: Dehnübungen für den Rücken sollten ein fixer Bestandteil deiner täglichen Routine sein.

Welche Ursachen haben Schmerzen im unteren Rücken?

Vorübergehende, leichte Rückenschmerzen können viele Ursachen haben, unter anderem:

• Schlechte Technik beim Heben von Gewichten (entweder im Fitnessstudio oder auch schwere Gegenstände im Alltag)
• Falsche Lauftechnik.
• Das regelmäßige Ausüben von Sportarten, bei denen der Rücken gekrümmt ist (wie zum Beispiel Hockey).
• Schwache oder verspannte Muskeln im Mittelteil des Körpers (hauptsächlich Gesäßmuskeln, Kniesehnen, Hüftbeuger und Rumpfmuskeln).
• Kein ausreichendes Aufwärmen vor dem Training.
• Kein ausreichendes Cool-down nach dem Training.
• Falsche Schlafstellung, die den Rücken nicht stützt.
• Überbelastung der Rückenmuskulatur.
• Zeitverzögerter Muskelkater.
• Zerrungen oder Stauchungen der unteren Rückenmuskulatur.
• Zu langes Sitzen oder Stehen.
• Allgemein schlechte Körperhaltung.

While gentle mobilisation and stretching can help to reduce discomfort in your lower back, it’s always best to seek advice from a physical therapist before adding any new movements into your routine.

You should speak to your doctor if you’re experiencing:

• A sharp pain in your lower back

• Pain that is severely impacting your movement

• Chronic pain

• Pain that is constant for more than a few days

Warum solltest du deinen unteren Rücken dehnen?

Viele von uns haben Jobs, bei denen wir jeden Tag für viele Stunden sitzen. Wenn du deinen Rücken regelmäßig dehnst und mobilisierst, kann das viel dazu beitragen, Steifheit und Schmerzen im unteren Rücken entgegenzuwirken. 

Dazu hat das Ganze auch einen Vorteil für deine körperliche Fitness. Wenn du Dehnübungen vor und nach deinem Training einbaust, verringerst du damit dein Verletzungsrisiko erheblich und erhöhst gleichzeitig deine Trainingseffizienz, Beweglichkeit und Kraftleistung. Und auch die Wahrscheinlichkeit eines Muskelkaters nach deinem Training wird dadurch geringer. 

Außerdem wirken Dehnübungen entspannend: Es ist erwiesen, dass das Stressempfinden dadurch verringert wird, besonders, wenn dieses von Rückenschmerzen verursacht wird. 

Dynamic back stretches to reduce lower back pain

These dynamic stretches involve continuous movement and will take your back through a full range of motion.

They can be completed regularly throughout the day to keep your upper back, shoulders, core, lower back and hips loose, or be added to your warm-up to prep you for lifting in the gym, hitting the roads for a run or playing a sport.

Cat-cow stretch

In the cat-cow stretch, your back will move from a rounded position (flexion), to an arched position (extension). This helps mobilise the whole spine by gently moving your vertebrae up and down, as well as stretching your core muscles, neck, and shoulders.

Start on all fours with your wrists directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Keep your back straight and your head neutral, looking down at the floor. Then complete the following steps, keeping your breathing slow and controlled:

• Exhale as you tuck your chin toward your chest and pull your belly button up toward your spine to round your back upward, like a scared cat. 

• Then, inhale and lift your head to look forward as you let your belly drop toward the floor, so your back is curved downwards. This is the ‘cow’ phase.

• Complete the full cycle 5 - 10 times.

The key to this movement (and many other spinal mobilisation exercises) is to think of the vertebrae in your back like the links in a chain. 

Imagine the chain is straight; then, you change its shape by gradually moving one link at a time. If you treat your vertebrae in the same way, then you can segment your back and move each section at a time to enhance the mobilisation.

You should aim for a decent range of motion during this exercise, but keep the movements gentle and avoid forcing your back into extreme positions. 

And make sure you keep your neck lengthened; don’t let your shoulders creep up toward your ears, as this will create tension rather than alleviate it. Finally, be careful not to put excessive force through your wrists; your weight should be evenly distributed between your hands and knees.

The open book

This dynamic stretch should be a staple in everyone’s daily routine. It helps loosen the whole spine and open up the chest. It’s also essential as part of a warm-up for any sport that involves rotational movements (like golf or tennis), or if you’re doing any twisting exercises in the gym (like those using a cable machine).

Lie on your left-hand side with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle in front of you. You can support your head with a yoga block, cushion, or pillow if that feels better than having it on the floor.

Stack your arms, knees, hips, and feet on top of each other. Then, inhale as you:

• Slowly lift your right arm.

• Exhale as you reach your right palm behind you.

• Let your upper body twist naturally as your right shoulder moves towards the floor.

• Move your head to the right-hand side as you follow your hand with your gaze.

• Aim to touch the floor with your right hand, or rest it on a yoga block or cushion. 

• Hold the stretch for one deep breath, feeling the gentle rotation through your spine and chest.

• Slowly return your right arm and head to the starting position. Try to move them at the same time to prevent any dizziness.

• Repeat the movement 5 - 10 times on your left side, then switch sides.

Keep your bottom knee in contact with the ground at all times; lifting your knees and legs in the direction your arm is moving will reduce the effectiveness of the stretch. 

Toe touch with overhead reach

Simply stand up straight with your arms at your sides. Tuck your chin into your chest, then gently bend toward the ground – remember to move one vertebra at a time again – until you feel a gentle stretch in your hamstrings and lower back. Try to let your hands pull you towards the floor, as if they were heavy weights.

Pause in this position for one full breath. Then, gently uncurl, stand up straight, lift your arms above your head and reach for the sky. Imagine your feet are tied to the floor but you need to try to touch the ceiling with your fingertips.

Now, gently lower your hands back to your sides and repeat the cycle for 3 - 5 repetitions.  

If you can touch your toes in the lower portion of this stretch, then that’s great, but if not, reach as far as possible while keeping your knees straight but not locked.

Static back stretches to help reduce lower back pain

Static stretches involve taking your muscle close to its end range and holding that position for a set amount of time.

If you perform static lower-back stretches gently, without forcing the movement or putting excess strain on your body, many of them can be completed without doing a full warm-up (although if you can do a few minutes of gentle walking or some of the above dynamic stretches beforehand, then that’s best). 

Be careful not to take your muscles past their natural range: you’ll know if you’re getting to this point because the stretch will start to feel painful. It's normal to experience mild discomfort when stretching, but it shouldn’t hurt; if you experience any sharp pain or soreness, stop.

The child’s pose

The child’s pose is a great stretch to help slow your heart rate and breathing, and lower your blood pressure after a long cardio workout. It’s also ideal for elongating the spinal column and decompressing your back if you’ve done a gym session featuring lots of posterior chain exercises like deadlifts, or exercises where you’ve had a weight resting on the top of your back (like squats or lunges).

Start on all fours, positioning yourself like a tabletop with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Then:

1. Spread your fingers wide and rest the tops of your feet flat on the floor. 

2. Keeping your knees about hip-width apart, gently push your hips back towards your heels.

3. Aim to rest your bum on your heels, letting your lower body feel supported by your legs.

4. Stretch your arms forward, keeping them straight, with palms facing down.

5. Rest your forehead gently on the ground (if this feels uncomfortable, you can support your head with a yoga block or pillow/cushion). 

6. Take slow, deep breaths and relax into the stretch, feeling your back expand as you inhale. Make sure to keep your shoulders loose.

7. Stay in this position for 15 - 20 seconds, and enjoy feeling your tension melt away.

8. Repeat 2 - 3 times.

While the child’s pose is one of the simplest stretches for lower back pain, it’s also easy to adapt according to your flexibility and mobility levels. If you find having the tops of your feet flat on the floor puts too much pressure on your ankles, causes a pinching in the front of your foot, or causes cramp, then you can curl your toes instead. And if you experience discomfort in your hips, you can bring your knees closer together.

To make the child’s pose more challenging, move your legs wider apart or position your hands to either side in front of you to create a long stretch down the side of your body.

You can also easily change the focus of this stretch from the lower back to the upper back and shoulder blades by bending your arms and placing your elbows on the ground (level with your ears) rather than having your arms out straight.

Knee hugs

In addition to stretching your whole back, knee hugs help loosen off your glutes and piriformis muscle, both of which can become very tight and cause lower back pain if you sit for long periods of time.

To perform a knee hug:

1. Lie flat on your back.

2. Bend both knees and bring them to your chest, gently pressing your lower back into the ground.

3. Wrap your arms around your lower legs, and pull your knees as close to your chest as possible.

4. Relax your shoulders down and let your head rest flat on the floor. 

5. Take slow, deep breaths, feeling your lower back and hips stretch deeper with each exhale.

6. Stay in this position for 15 - 20 seconds, then, one at a time, release your legs and return them to the floor.

7. Repeat 2 - 3 times.

If you feel comfortable doing so, you can gently rock from side to side in this position to gently massage your lower back.

Supine back twist

With many of us spending long periods sitting down in one position, our backs rarely go through any rotational movement during the day. 

Exercises like the supine back twist help to keep our backs mobile and ensure we have enough rotational range of motion when we need it, like when we’re playing sports or working out in the gym.

Lie flat on your back with your legs extended and arms relaxed at your sides. Then:

1. Bend both of your knees, keeping your feet flat on the floor.

2. Gently lower your legs to the floor on your left-hand side, keeping your knees and feet stacked on top of one another. Allow your lower back to come off the ground.

3. Extend your arms to the sides in a T-shape, keeping your shoulders and upper back flat on the floor.

4. If it feels comfortable, turn your head to the right to deepen the twist.

5. Relax into the position, breathing deeply and feeling the gentle stretch in your lower back and sides.

6. Hold the twist for 15 - 20 seconds, then slowly bring your knees back to the centre and swap sides.

7. Repeat 2 - 3 times on each side.

Cobra stretch

While many back stretches and mobilisation techniques are safe to do without fully warming up first, the cobra stretch is a more intense exercise and should be performed as part of your workout cool-down routine. 

1. Lie face-down with your legs extended straight behind you and the tops of your feet resting on the ground.

2. Place your hands flat on the floor under your shoulders, with your elbows close to your sides. Take a deep breath in.

3. Now, slowly exhale as you press gently through your hands to lift your chest off the ground. Remember to keep your elbows slightly bent and your shoulders relaxed (your shoulders shouldn’t be anywhere near your ears).

4. Look straight ahead or slightly upward, but don’t force your head back. 

5. Take slow, deep breaths and hold the stretch for 15 - 20 seconds, then lower yourself to the ground.

6. Repeat 2-3 times.

If pressing through the ground with your palms creates too much pressure on your lower back, then you can modify this stretch by resting on your forearms instead.

To get the most out of this stretch and ensure you’re not putting too much strain on your lower back, make sure:

• Your hips and thighs stay on the ground throughout.

• You don’t overextend your back by pushing too hard with your arms. 

• You keep your shoulders relaxed and low to avoid tension.

Seated back stretches to reduce lower back pain

You don’t even need to leave your seat to do the next couple of exercises. Complete these movements periodically throughout the day, and you’ll notice the difference when you hit the gym after work.

Seated lower-back rotational stretch

This exercise will get much-needed mobilisation and rotational movement into your back if you’ve been facing forward at your desk all day.

In your chair, place your right ankle just above your left knee and let your right leg drop naturally to the side. With your palm facing away from your body, place your left forearm on the outside of your right knee and gently push into your leg to twist your body to your right-hand side. Hold for a few deep breaths or around 10 - 15 seconds, then slowly untwist. Do 3 - 5 on each side. 

You might need to adjust the armrests on your chair to get full movement out of this exercise, but play around to find out what works best for you.

Seated pelvic tilts

Seated pelvic tilts are the perfect stealth stretch. No one will ever know you’re doing them, but they can have a big impact on lower back and hip girdle mobility.

Shuffle forward in your chair so there’s a gap at the back. Make sure your feet are flat on the ground at around shoulder-width apart. Now:

1. Arch your lower back and tilt your hips and pelvis forward, gently pushing your tummy out. Pause in this position.

2. Then, flex your lower back so your hips and pelvis tilt backwards and you are slightly slumped over. Aim to try to fill the gap between your lower back and the chair.

Imagine you’re doing the cat-cow stretch while seated. Go through this process slowly, 3 - 5 times (do your work colleagues a favour and show them how to do it too).

Leg, glute and hip stretches to reduce lower back pain

If you’re experiencing lower back pain, it could be a sign that you have tightness or lack of mobility in your upper legs, hips, or glutes (or a combination of all three). 

So, as well as stretching your back, you need to make sure that you spend time focusing on the muscles in your upper legs and pelvic area.

If you’re new to stretching, hold these stretches for 20 - 30 seconds each. Intermediate-level athletes can hold them for up to 45 seconds, and those who are used to stretching and have high levels of flexibility can hold them for up to a minute.

Standing hamstrings stretch

Several scientific studies have shown that hamstring stretching exercises can reduce lower back pain. 

In fact, an investigation conducted in 2024 looked into the link between lower back pain, tight hamstrings, and prolonged sitting in young adults aged up to 25 and found “compelling evidence” that an eight-week program of hamstring stretching can significantly reduce lower back discomfort.

So, making sure that your hamstrings are long, loose and strong is really important if you want to reduce the likelihood of experiencing lower back aches.

The standing hamstring stretch ticks all the boxes: not only will it elongate your muscles, but you’ll also feel the benefit of decompressing your spinal vertebrae by gently curling forward and letting your upper-body weight stretch your back.

Start standing straight with your arms at your sides, then cross your right foot over your left. The outside of your right foot should still be in contact with the inside of your left. Inhale, and then:

1. Exhale as you slowly bend forward.

2. Imagining that your hands are being pulled towards the ground, keep uncurling the vertebrae in your spine until you feel a stretch down both hamstrings.

3. Hold for the desired time, then inhale as you slowly uncurl your back until you are stood up straight. 

4. Repeat on the opposite side by placing your left foot over your right.

To make the most of this stretch, keep your legs straight (but don’t lock out your knees), and try to gently push your weight through your heels as you lower yourself toward the ground (while still keeping both feet flat on the floor).

You can increase the stretch by altering your arm position: instead of hanging them straight toward the floor, you can cross them over. In the lower portion of the movement, grip the opposite elbow with each hand and rest your head on top of your now-folded arms. This essentially causes a greater weight to be “pulled” toward the floor, creating a more intense stretch across your lower back and into your legs.

Seated glute stretch

While this exercise focuses on your glutes, it’ll also help your hips feel much more open.

To perform this stretch:

1. Sit on the floor with both legs straight out in front of you.

2. Keep your back straight as you lift your left leg, and place your left ankle just above your right knee.

3. Relax as you allow your left knee to drop toward the ground (you’re unlikely to get your knee to touch the floor, but imagining that’s what you’re trying to do will help you relax your left hip).

4. If you can, lean slightly forward or hold on to your right foot to deepen the stretch.

5. Hold for your chosen time, and then swap sides.

If having your knee unsupported above the ground feels uncomfortable for you, you can pop a yoga block or thin cushion underneath it.

Kneeling hip flexor stretch 

You might need something soft to go under your knees for the next couple of exercises, so if you don’t have a yoga mat, fold a towel up and rest on that.

To loosen your hip flexors and open up your hip girdle, kneel on the floor on your yoga mat or towel. Then, place your left leg forward, with your foot flat on the floor and the knee bent at 90 degrees. Then:

1. Tilt your tailbone underneath you (as if you’re trying to push your hips forward without moving your legs).

2. Keeping your hips tucked under you, slowly lean forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your right hip.

3. Hold, then bring your left leg back in and swap sides.

Ideally, you should have your hands either on your hips or down by your sides, using your core to stabilise you. But if you need to rest your hand on a wall for support while you get used to the movement, that’s okay. Just make sure that your back is still straight and you’re not leaning to the side.

Kneeling quadriceps stretch

Tight quadriceps (or ‘quads’) are a really common cause of lower back pain because they can tilt the pelvis down and forward, meaning your back becomes more arched.

But that’s not all: tight quads often also lead to weak hamstring muscles. This puts additional strain on your lower back as it has to take over from your hamstrings during posterior chain exercises.

So, let’s make sure your quads aren’t causing you any trouble. Stay in your kneeling position, with your left leg forward, and hips tucked under. Use your core to stabilise you as you gently reach behind, hold your right foot, and then pull it up toward your glutes. Hold for your chosen length of time, then lower your right foot to the floor and swap sides.

If you struggle to grab hold of your back foot on this exercise, you can try placing a towel around your ankles and holding on to that while you pull your foot towards you.

How often should you do lower back stretches?

How often you perform lower back stretches depends on the intensity of the exercise.

Because they’re gentle and don’t involve a huge range of motion, seated back stretches can – and should! – be done daily, especially if you’re sitting for long periods of time.

Other stretches you can do every day include:

• The child’s pose

• Knee hugs

• Supine back twists

• Cat cow

• Open book

• Overhead reach

You don’t need to do them all every day, though. Pick a static stretch and a couple of dynamic stretches to do each day and rotate them throughout the week.

You shouldn’t do more intense back stretches like the cobra, and exercises which isolate other muscles (including the quads, hamstrings, and hip flexor muscles) more than 3 - 4 times per week (and only ever when you’re already warmed up or are at the end of a training session). Completing stretches like this too frequently could result in muscle soreness and even injury due to overstretching. 

What to wear when stretching

While stretching is a low-intensity activity, you need to be comfortable – and your clothes should allow you to move.

Our range of women’s yoga and pilates clothes is perfect for your next stretching session; ultra-soft, stretchy materials and minimal seams mean this kit won’t dig in, no matter how far you stretch.

And whether you like to move in long-sleeve tops or t-shirts, shorts, leggings or trackie bottoms, our men’s gym tops, sports shorts, and gym bottoms are built for comfort.

Stretch away your lower back ache

While it’s not a guaranteed fix – and you should always speak to a medical professional if you’re worried about your pain – adding stretching to your daily routine is one of the best ways to reduce the likelihood of experiencing lower back pain. 

Try these stretches, and enjoy a looser lower body in minutes.