Lower back pain is one of the most common conditions we see at Healing Hands — affecting an estimated 80% of adults at some point in their lives. While severe or persistent pain requires professional assessment, many people experience significant relief through a consistent home exercise programme.
The good news is that specific, targeted exercises can reduce pain, strengthen the muscles supporting your spine, and significantly improve your quality of life. Here are the five exercises our physiotherapists recommend most often.
Before You Start
Always warm up gently before these exercises — a 5-minute walk or gentle marching on the spot is ideal. Stop any exercise immediately if it causes sharp, shooting, or worsening pain. If you have a diagnosed condition such as a disc herniation or spinal stenosis, consult your physiotherapist before starting a new exercise programme.
1. Cat-Cow Stretch
Begin on your hands and knees with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Inhale as you drop your belly towards the floor, lifting your head and tailbone (Cow). Exhale as you round your spine towards the ceiling, tucking your chin and pelvis (Cat). Move slowly between positions, completing 10–15 repetitions. This exercise gently mobilises the entire spine, relieves stiffness, and activates the deep stabilising muscles of the lower back.
2. Knee-to-Chest Stretch
Lie on your back with both knees bent. Slowly draw one knee towards your chest, holding behind the thigh or shin. Hold for 20–30 seconds, then switch legs. Perform 3 repetitions per side. This stretch targets the piriformis and lower back muscles, releasing tension built up from prolonged sitting or standing.
3. Pelvic Tilts
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Gently flatten the curve of your lower back by tightening your abdominal muscles and pressing your spine lightly into the floor. Hold for 5 seconds, then release. Repeat 10–15 times. Pelvic tilts activate the transverse abdominis — the deepest core muscle — which plays a critical role in supporting and stabilising the lumbar spine.
4. Child's Pose
Kneel on the floor and sit back onto your heels. Reach your arms forward and lower your torso towards the ground, resting your forehead on the floor or a pillow. Hold for 30–60 seconds while breathing deeply. Child's Pose provides a gentle, sustained stretch to the lower back extensors and creates space between the vertebrae, which can relieve compression-related pain.
5. Bird Dog
Start on hands and knees. Simultaneously extend your right arm forward and your left leg behind you, keeping your hips level. Hold for 5 seconds, then slowly return. Repeat on the other side. Complete 8–10 repetitions per side. The Bird Dog exercise challenges your core stability while training balance and coordination — key elements in preventing future back pain episodes.
How Often Should You Do These Exercises?
For best results, aim to complete this routine once or twice daily. Consistency is more important than intensity — even one session per day, done regularly, will produce meaningful improvement over 4–6 weeks. Many of our patients report noticeable reduction in pain within the first two weeks.
When to See a Physiotherapist
Home exercises are excellent for mild to moderate, non-specific lower back pain. However, you should seek professional assessment if: your pain is severe or getting progressively worse; you experience pain, numbness, or tingling radiating down one or both legs; you have pain following an injury or accident; or your pain is accompanied by loss of bladder or bowel control (which requires urgent medical attention).
At Healing Hands, our physiotherapists can assess your back pain, identify the underlying cause, and design a personalised treatment programme that gets you back to doing what you love — faster.
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Certified Physiotherapist · Healing Hands Physio
A qualified physiotherapist practising at Healing Hands Physio & Rehabilitation Center in Gaborone, Botswana. Dedicated to evidence-based, patient-centred care.