7 Best Lower Back Pain Exercises for Quick Relief at Home (With Video)

Last updated on June 17th, 2025 at 12:19 pm

Quick Summary: 5 Best Lower Back Pain Exercises

• Bridge Exercise – Strengthens glutes and lower back
• Piriformis Stretch – Releases tight hip muscles
• Upper Back Strengthener – Improves posture
• Prone Leg Lifts – Targets deep back muscles
• Cat-Camel Stretch – Mobilizes spine

Tip: Perform these 3-5 times weekly. For faster relief, combine with these supporting strategies.

Back pain can happen to anyone, whether you are an office goer, an industrial worker or just a housewife. Fortunately, all these things can be avoided or managed if you follow these best lower back pain exercises for almost complete relief.

As you would have experienced, back pain can neither allow you to stand comfortably nor sit without experiencing that irritating pain. And in the worst-case scenario, you may even go bedridden. With back pain, it will be difficult to concentrate on your work, and you might be thinking why my desk job is killing me?

Whatever the causes of back pain, these simple exercises, which I am going to show you, will work for every individual. Let’s get started.

5 Best Lower Back Pain Exercises for Fast Relief at Home

Whatever exercises we are going to learn are aimed at strengthening the weak muscles of the upper back and lower back and stretching stiff muscles. However, in severe back pain, taking rest is the best.

After the severe pain subsides, you can follow these exercises. We have discussed step by step method to cure acute backache, in case you are suffering from severe back pain. So, our first exercise is a bridging exercise.

1) Bridge Exercise for Glutes: Best Lower Back Pain Relief

The first lower back pain exercise is the bridge exercise for the glutes, or simply the bridging exercise. This is the single best exercise for lower back pain and is very simple yet very effective.

The beauty of this exercise is that anyone with any severity of pain can perform it. It is the best exercise to start with.

This exercise is aimed at strengthening the muscles of the lower back, and it can be done on almost any kind of back pain, like lumbar disc hernia, sciatica, or chronic back pain.

However, if you have low back pain on one side you need to follow exercises for one-sided low back pain..

1. For this exercise, your starting position would be lying down flat on your back with your hands by your side and both the knees should be bent.
2. In this position, slowly lift your hips, and lift them to the maximum point your pain allows.
3. Lift it and hold it for 5. The best way is to count 1 to 5.
4. Then slowly lower it down to a normal position.
5. Repeat this a minimum of 30 times in a single session.

2) Lower Back Pain Stretches to Relieve Tight Muscles

Because of pain, the muscles around the hip become stiff. Lower back pain stretches are the best way to release this stiffness. One of the most common muscles that gets stiff is the piriformis muscle.

On the sides of our buttocks, there is a deep-lying muscle known as the piriformis muscle.

This is a busy muscle that continuously works when we sit and work for long hours. And this is why this muscle becomes painful in almost any kind of back pain, be it muscular pain or sciatica pain.

Stretching of this muscle is an important part of exercises for lower back pain relief.

1. So to stretch this, lie down on your back with your hands by the side.
2. Bend one of the knees and keep the foot over the opposite knee.
3. Hold the knee with both hands and pull it towards the opposite shoulder in an oblique direction.  
4. Hold it for a minimum of 60 sec and then release it slowly.
5. Repeat the same exercise again on the other leg. Do, it for 3 to 4 repetitions in a single session.

This is one way to stretch this muscle, you can also learn other highly effective ways to stretch the piriformis muscle. Other than this, there are several other stretching exercises you can follow by going through this article, “Follow These 7 Easy Low Back Pain Stretches That Actually Work“.

3) Upper Back Strengthening Exercises for Posture & Pain Relief

Strengthening of back muscles is important in the lower back, and we have to take care of both the upper back and lower back muscles. In this lower back pain exercise, we will learn to strengthen the upper back muscles.

1. So, lie down on your tummy (supine lying) with your hands by the side; this will be the starting position.
2. In this position, keep your leg still and slowly raise your head and chest as displayed on the figure.
3. Raise it to its maximum and hold it for 5 seconds.
4. Then slowly lower yourself. Repeat it a minimum of 10 times in a single session.    

Also read: Ball exercises for back pain, 6 effective workout

4) Lower Back Strengthening Exercises for Long-Term Relief

Our next exercise aims to strengthen the lower back muscles, another important pain exercise.

1. The starting position would be similar to the previous exercise, i.e, lie down on your tummy keeping both hands by the side of your body.
2. Slowly raise one of your legs keeping the knee straight.
3. Raise it to not more than 30 degrees of angle.
4. Hold it for 5 sec and lower it down slowly.
5. Repeat this for the opposite leg.
6. Do this on both legs alternately.
7. Repeat it a minimum of 10 times in a single leg.

5) Cat-Camel Stretch for Core Stability and Back Pain

These two exercises are very good core exercises. It strengthens the core muscles of the low back. It is very easy to perform:

1. For this, the starting position is prone to kneeling.
2. In this position, if you curve your back upward, then it is termed a cat exercise, and when it is curved downward, it becomes a dog exercise. As you can see in the figure, perform cat and dog exercises alternately, one by one.
3. In a single session, do this exercise for 3 to 4 minutes.

Tips to Maximize Back Pain Relief

These exercises are powerful, but combining them with the right habits and tools can speed up recovery and prevent future pain. Here’s how to get the best results:

1. Support Your Spine While Sleeping

A good mattress and pillow are crucial for spinal alignment. If you wake up with stiffness, consider:

• Memory Foam Mattress Topper: Adds cushioning for pressure relief.
• Orthopedic Pillow: Keeps your neck and spine neutral.

Pro Tip: During severe pain, follow low back pain sleeping position. For example, sleep on your back with a pillow under your knees or on your side with a pillow between your legs.

2. Use Heat/Cold Therapy for Instant Relief

• Ice Packs (for acute pain/swelling): Try reusable gel packs.
• Heating Pads (for chronic stiffness): A microwavable heat wrap can relax tight muscles before exercises.

When to Use: Ice for the first 48 hours of pain, heat afterward.

3. Invest in a Lumbar Support Cushion

If you sit for long hours (e.g., desk job), a lumbar roll maintains your spine’s natural curve. Recommended:

• Ergonomic Lumbar Cushion (fits any chair).

5. Stay Consistent (But Listen to Your Body!)

• Do these exercises 3–5x/week for lasting relief.
• Stop if pain worsens and consult a physio.

Final Thoughts: Staying Pain-Free Long-Term

These back pain exercises have been found to be very effective in almost all types of back pain. However, it is not limited to this; we need a holistic approach to treating back pain.

So, we also need to focus on things like correct sitting posture on the desk and proper sleeping position in severe pain.

Exercises have to be continued for one or two weeks even after you find your pain is reduced. If you have a regular complaint of backache, you must make it a habit to do these exercises. Let me know if you know about other exercises. Please give feedback in the comments section.

“Did these exercises help you? Share your experience in the comments!”

Keep Reading: Sciatica Pain Relief: Dummies Guide that Actually Works

FAQ on lower back pain