4 Stretches to Relieve Back Pain After Sitting All Day

A constellation of complex factors contributes to spinal discomfort, but a common one is the time we spend sitting. “Our bodies were made to move, and being sedentary can contribute to low back pain,” says physical therapist David Pavao. That’s because sitting still for long periods deconditions the muscles—which means they weaken—and the joints in your back become more sensitive to pain, he explains. With that in mind, Pavao put together the following sequence designed to alleviate a back that’s barking after a long day of sitting. (Watch the video below to follow along with me.) 

Why Sitting for Long Periods of Time Causes Back Pain

Gluing yourself to a chair or couch for prolonged periods can tighten the hip flexors (the muscles at the front of your hip that help lift your leg) while simultaneously weakening the glutes, Pavao says. When you get up to move, these imbalances can alter your movement patterns, putting extra stress on your back. This triggers pain.

So for folks who work desk jobs—or those of us on long road trips or flights—it’s unfortunately common to have stiff, achy spines by the end of the day.

But back pain doesn’t have to be your status quo. Targeted movements, like the ones listed below, can help lengthen and strengthen your back muscles so that when you go to use them, you’re less susceptible to strain and injury, Pavao explains.

As a bonus: the following moves will warm up stiff tissues, allow your joints to move more easily, and bring your spine into different ranges of motion, helping to counteract the ill effects of being locked in one position.

4 Physical Therapist-Approved Stretches to Relieve Low Back Pain After Sitting 

If you’re strapped for time, do these as one-off exercises. But if you have a few minutes to spare, perform them in the order listed below. You can do them as often as hourly throughout the day, says Pavao, who suggests thinking of them as “great excuses” to get up and change your positioning during an otherwise sedentary spell.

The exercises should elicit a mild to moderate stretch sensation, but they should never be painful. If they are, ease up the intensity, or stop entirely. To that end, these moves are generally very gentle and safe for most people, but if you have (or have previously had) super intense low back pain, see a physical therapist first before doing them, Pavao says.

1. Standing Lumbar Extension

This stretch takes your low back into extension, which is the opposite of flexion (the direction it’s typically in when you’re rounded forward at a desk). This move gives your spine a “really healthy range of motion,” Pavao says.

How to Do It: 

• Stand tall with your feet hip-distance apart and hands on your hips.
• Gently push your hips forward as you arch your lower back, extending it backward as far as you comfortably can.
• Hold for five seconds, then return to the starting position. This is one rep.
• Do ten reps.

2. Seated Lumbar Flexion

Here, you’re moving your spine into flexion, which is the position it’s often in when you’re sitting down. The difference, though, is that you’re taking it into a much greater range of motion, which helps prepare your spine to better handle daily movements like bending down to tie your shoes or picking something up off the floor.

How to Do It: 

• Sit at a desk, or in front of a table or countertop, reach your arms forward across the desk as you drop your head and torso down towards your thighs. (If you don’t have a desk, table, or countertop handy, reach your arms forward as you drop your head and torso down.) Stop when you feel a gentle stretch in your lower back.
• Hold for five seconds. This is one rep.
• Do ten reps.

3. Spinal Rotation

This stretch brings your spine into rotation, helping it get used to that motion in a safe, gentle way. This will improve your ability to perform daily tasks like reaching the back seat of your car to grab an object, shoveling snow, or raking leaves.

How to Do It: 

• Sit with your feet hip-distance apart, knees bent, and hips slightly pushed back.
• Keeping your feet in place, reach both arms to the right as you grab your desk or armrest, pulling against it to rotate your back to the right. You should end up looking over your right shoulder.
• Hold for five seconds, then return to the starting position. This is one rep.
• Repeat on the other side. Continue this pattern, alternating sides, for a total of five reps per side.

4. Chair Squat

Surprised by this one? Same. While squats likely aren’t top of mind when you picture exercises for back pain, they’re a wise, practical choice. That’s because they’re a full-body movement that boosts blood flow to your back, helping alleviate stiffness there. They also teach you how to keep your back still and stable while you move your limbs, which helps protect your spine in a variety of daily movements, like going up stairs, lifting a child, or picking up a heavy bag of groceries.

Plus, using a chair to do them helps ensure good form: “You don’t need to worry about your knees or your posture,” Pavao says. “If you just sit to stand from that chair, you’re going to be doing it correctly.”

How to Do It: 

• Sit at the edge of a chair with your knees bent, feet shoulder-width apart, and your torso tall—don’t slouch forward.
• Press through your feet to stand up, squeezing your glutes on the way up. Pause at the top, then push your hips back to return to the starting position. This is one rep.
• Do ten reps and complete three total sets.

When to See a Physical Therapist for Back Pain

In many cases, mild back pain will get better with time, but if it doesn’t resolve within a couple of weeks or recurs, get checked out by a physical therapist, Pavao advises.

You should also see a physical therapist if your back pain is acute (for example, you really wrench your back and immediately have trouble moving), or if back pain gets in the way of your daily functioning or leisure activities for more than a week or two.

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