Lower back exercises at home

A gentle routine

• Knee-to-chest: lying on your back, hug one knee in. 20 seconds each side.
• Cat-camel: on hands and knees, slowly round and arch. 10 reps.
• Glute bridges: lift the hips, squeeze, lower slowly. 2 sets of 10.
• Bird dog: opposite arm and leg, hold 3 seconds. 2 sets of 6 each side.
• Sit-to-stand from a chair: 2 sets of 8.

Why movement helps a sore back

Most lower back pain isn't caused by serious damage. It's often a mix of stiff joints, protective muscle tension and a sensitive nervous system, and it usually improves within a few weeks. Health guidelines generally recommend staying active and avoiding bed rest, because gentle movement helps the back settle and reduces the chance of it becoming long-lasting.

The exercises above are gentle starting points. As the pain eases, building strength in the hips, trunk and legs makes the back more resilient.

Building strength once it settles

1. Glute bridge. Lift your hips by squeezing your buttocks. 3 sets of 10 to 12.
2. Bird dog. Opposite arm and leg, keeping your back still. 3 sets of 8 each side.
3. Side plank from knees. Hold 15 to 30 seconds each side, 3 times.
4. Hip hinge. Push hips back with a flat back, then stand. 3 sets of 10. This is how to bend safely for lifting.
5. Sit to stand. From a chair, without using hands. 3 sets of 10.

Daily habits

• Change position often. No posture is bad for a few minutes; any posture can get uncomfortable after hours.
• Walk most days, building gradually.
• Lift with your hips and knees bending, keeping the load close to your body.
• Sleep with a pillow between your knees on your side, or under your knees on your back.
• Stress and poor sleep can make back pain worse. Relaxation and breathing can help.

What a typical recovery looks like

Many people feel noticeably better within one to two weeks, and most improve substantially within six weeks. Flare-ups are common and don't mean you've reinjured it. Ease back for a day or two, keep moving gently, and resume.

Myths about back pain

• "Pain means damage." Not usually. Back pain is often more about sensitivity than injury.
• "You should rest until it's gone." Gentle movement generally helps more.
• "Bending is dangerous." Backs are built to bend; build up load gradually.
• "A scan will show the cause." Many people without pain have disc changes on scans too.

A two-week starting plan

Days 1 to 3: gentle movement from the routine above two or three times a day, plus short walks. Days 4 to 7: add longer walks and the bridge and bird dog if they're comfortable. Week 2: build to the strength exercises three times a week, keep walking daily, and practise hip hinges for bending.

Treat it as a menu. If one exercise aggravates your pain, leave it out for now and try it again in a week.

Lifting and bending

Your back is built to bend, and rounding it slightly to pick up something light isn't dangerous. For heavier objects, hinging at the hips, keeping the load close and bracing gently helps spread the effort across your hips and legs.

If bending has become scary because of pain, practising the movement gently with no load, then with light objects, is often part of recovery.

Apex One back programs

Apex One has guided programs for non-specific lower back pain, sciatica-friendly back mobility and SI joint and glute support, for between physio sessions. They talk you through each exercise out loud, time your holds and ask for pain scores before and after. The camera isn't used for rehab exercises.

A 10-minute daily routine

Start lying on your back with knees bent: 10 slow pelvic tilts, flattening and then gently arching the lower back. Then 10 knee rocks side to side. Hug one knee at a time for 20 seconds each. Roll to hands and knees for 10 cat-cows, moving only as far as feels easy. Finish with 2 sets of 8 glute bridges, pausing a second at the top.

That's about ten minutes. Most people do it once a day, often in the morning when backs feel stiffest. If one movement aggravates things, drop it and keep the rest.

When to add strength

Once the gentle routine feels easy, strength is what usually keeps backs feeling better over months. Bodyweight squats to a chair, bird dogs, side planks from the knees and hip hinges with a broomstick along your spine are common next steps. Build up over weeks, not days. The Lower back (non-specific) program in Apex One walks you through a voice-led version, and the Sciatica-friendly back mobility program suits people whose pain travels down the leg.

Everyday habits that help

• Break up long sitting every 30 to 45 minutes, even just to stand and walk to the kitchen.
• Keep walking. Short, regular walks are one of the most reliable ways to settle a sore back.
• Sleep in whatever position is comfortable; there's no single correct one.
• Lift with your legs and keep loads close, but don't fear bending: backs are built for it.

Stop and get checked urgently if

• You have numbness around the groin, or new bladder or bowel changes
• Weakness in the legs is getting worse
• The pain followed a fall, or comes with fever or weight loss

Count every rep with your phone

Questions

Keep exploring

• Lower back pain exercisesApex One
• Sciatica exercisesApex One
• SI joint pain exercisesApex One
• Plank progressionGuide
• Sciatica exercises at homeGuide
• Posture exercises for desk workersGuide