The Only Two Stretches I’ll Ever Recommend

As a rule, I don’t think stretching is reliable or helpful for relieving lower back pain. Often this is better served with a sound strengthening protocol. However, in the last few months I have been using 2 PNF inspired stretches to relieve lower back tension and pain.

PNF stands for Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation. It is a fancy way of labelling a Stretch-Contract-Stretch exercise. These two exercises place the target muscle on a full stretch then ask you to contract the muscle. After 2-5 repeats you can noticeably feel a difference in your hips and lower back.

These two exercises synergize with the two strength exercises I shared last month. Use them all together even bigger changes.

Disclaimer: All these exercises should be performed Pain Free. If you experience any pain, stop and ask. It is okay to feel tension, tightness, stretching or discomfort. If it becomes painful then you should stop or ask how you can modify the maneuver.

*This advice is general in nature, for specific advice ask me first about your case or your health professional if these are right for you.

Quad-Sits

• Start kneeling on a soft surface. A folded towel or yoga mat will do.

• With your knees bent to 90 degrees and your torso upright, SLOWLY sit backward onto your heels and relax for a brief pause of 1-5 seconds.

• Without leaning forward or using momentum, contract your quads, slowly increasing effort to pull yourself back up again into the kneeling position.

• Repeat this 2-5 times.

Start Position

Finish Position

If you have a knee injury and pain starts during the movement, try finding a point just before pain begins, stop at that distance through the rep, and return to the start. Only use the pain-free range of movement.

Hip Rotator Reaches

For this exercise you’ll need to use a couch or mattress that you can sit on the edge of, with enough room to reach forward. The floor is not ideal for beginners and is often too challenging on the hip flexors of the other leg.

Special Note: You should never feel any back pain during this exercise. If you do, do not continue.

 When you come out of these exercises you should feel a ‘lightness’ in your lower back. These can be done daily for further benefits. The more you do them, the better you can feel.