8 Home Exercises for Your Back

Cliff Russell is a Registered East Grinstead Osteopath with years of experience helping people learn exercises for back pain. Here are 8 exercises which you can do at home for free without any equipment which are good for alleviating back pain, strengthening your back muscles and increasing your spinal flexibility.

Please note that some of these exercises (e.g. Pelvic tilts and knee hugs) can usually be done during the initial sore (acute) stage after an injury, and some are more for the rehabilitation phase when you are less sore.

If you are in any doubt which exercise is best for you, then don’t do them and come and see me for some guidance.

Exercise 1 - Partial Crunch

This exercise can help strengthen the lower back and abdominal muscles. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your neck, and slowly lift your shoulders off the ground, tightening your abdominal muscles. Hold for a few seconds, then slowly lower your shoulders back down. This is mainly a strengthening and rehab exercise.

Exercise 2 - Bird Dog

This exercise targets the core muscles and lower back. Get down on your hands and knees, and then lift your opposite arm and leg off the ground while keeping your back straight. Hold for a few seconds, then switch to the other arm and leg. This is mainly a strengthening and rehab exercise.

Exercise 3- Wall Sit

This exercise strengthens the muscles in the legs, back, and core. Stand with your back against a wall and slowly slide down into a sitting position, with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Hold this position for as long as you can, then slowly stand back up. This is mainly a strengthening and rehab exercise.

Exercise 4 - Cat Cow

This exercise helps to stretch and mobilize the spine. Start on your hands and knees, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Arch your back up toward the ceiling, and then slowly lower your back down while lifting your head and tailbone. This is mainly a spinal flexibility, balancing and coordination exercise.

Exercise 5- Pelvic Tilt

This exercise helps to strengthen the lower back and improve posture. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Tighten your abdominal muscles and press your lower back into the floor. Hold for a few seconds, then release. This can be useful after an injury, but stop if any pain is caused.

Exercise 6 - Knee Hug

Lying flat on your back on a firm surface, gently hug both your knees towards your chest. You can hug just one knee if hugging both is too difficult. Try to hold this gentle stretch for about 30 seconds. This is a great exercise for stretching your back muscles and decompressing the joints in your back if they are irritated.

Exercise 7 - Low Back Stretches

Lying flat on your back on a firm surface, stretch your arms out to the side with your palms to the floor. With one leg straight, gently roll the other bent leg across whilst keeping your arms fixed to the floor. This is a great low back stretch which often frees up stiff joints. Take it easy with this exercise if you have just had an injury as your back may not like the twisting.

Exercise 8 - Gentle walking

In my experience, staying mobile with regular gentle walking is one of the most effective ways to both prevent and recover from a back problem. The walking motion puts a gentle rotatory force through the lumbar spine which helps blood flow and mobility. There is plenty of scientific research to confirm that this is the case. You may not be able to walk in the acute stage of a back injury, but try to get on your feet and get mobile as soon as you can.

Once you have a problem under control, both pilates and yoga are effective approaches to maintaining your back health. Which one will work best for you will depend on various factors personal to you, and whether you primarily have a flexibility or stability problem, or both.

As a general rule, if an exercise is causing anything more than a mild discomfort from a stretch, you should stop doing it.

As always, best to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any exercise program, especially if you have a history of back pain or injury.

Come and see me, Cliff Russell, Registered Osteopath for an assessment of which back exercises will work best for you at Osteostudio in Ashurst Wood, East Grinstead.

Book Your Appointment Today!

You can follow my blog for more useful exercises and information.