20 Best Ways To Increase Back Flexibility and Prevent Injuries

Do you find yourself wincing when you bend down to tie your shoes? Your back may feel stiff when you get up from a chair or out of the car. Or, perhaps you’ve experienced back pain during a recent workout or while playing with your kids. If any of these scenarios sound familiar, improving your back flexibility exercises can help avoid injury and reduce discomfort. This article will help you increase back flexibility to achieve a pain-free, agile back that enhances daily movement, improves posture, and boosts overall well-being.

The good news is you don't have to go it alone. Pliability's mobility app can help you reach your back flexibility goals with customized routines targeting your needs.

Can Back Flexibility Be Improved?

Back flexibility is critical for overall mobility because it helps you perform everyday activities with ease. For instance, bending over and picking something up off the floor is a lot easier when you don’t have to worry about back stiffness and discomfort getting in the way. Back flexibility also helps prevent injury.
‍“Good back flexibility means that you have good movement throughout all the levels of your spine and even hips,” says Kristin Vinci, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health.

‍“This is important because good back movement means it’s easier to do things in your daily life, like bending over to pick something up off the floor or carrying something in from the garage. Otherwise, you may end up overusing one area of your back, which makes it more likely you’ll experience back pain.”

Beyond Stretching and the Role of the Nervous System

Flexibility is primarily the nervous system. Many people believe it is simply a matter of stretching, and that's certainly a part of it, but it's only one of many. Yoga might help you (for any number of reasons), but there is an equally good chance it won't. Some flexibility, such as ligaments, is genetically driven. You may produce less elastin than others in your field, making more specific and frequent flexibility training necessary.

I've seen many bizarre changes in flexibility ability with things as seemingly unrelated as improved breathing or stability somewhere else. You could have inferior breathing mechanics, preventing your nervous system from allowing the body to release the nervous system tension.

Stability, Strength, and Motor Control Insights

You could have inferior joint stability elsewhere, and your back is trying to pick up the slack, so improving your hip flexibility, for instance, might actually (and seemingly magically) unlock your spine. In another case, you may have too much movement in the thoracic spine that your lumbar spine is trying to provide stability, so you must stiffen up the thoracic spine.

It could also be related to tissue quality, and massage treatments are the best method for finding new ranges of motion. It could be a lack of strength. Your glutes are weak, preventing you from controlling a posterior pelvic tilt and freeing your spine. It could be a motor control issue.

Back Flexibility: The Importance of Training

Back flexibility is essential if you’re sitting at a desk for most of your day — or sitting anywhere, for that matter. Sitting for long periods without movement breaks often causes back muscles to tighten, preventing you from doing what you want to do after office hours.

The Benefits of Back Stretches

Improved Flexibility

Back stretches increase back flexibility and range of motion, helping you perform your lifts with proper form and reducing the risk of injury. They also allow you to move with more ease through everyday life.

Increased Blood Flow

Stretches (particularly dynamic ones) are an essential precursor to many workouts. Doing simple back stretches before your workout increases muscle blood flow, aiding performance and preparing you for the workout.

Better Recovery

We’ve all experienced DOMS at some point in our lives, but back then, DOMS was not something we would wish upon anyone. Stretching your back can help alleviate post-workout soreness, helping you recover faster and hit your next session with the same intensity.

Improved Posture

We probably don’t need to tell you the dangers of sitting at a desk all day. While back stretches can’t undo the damage from being desk-bound, they can encourage proper alignment and improve posture.

Help Prevent Back Pain

Tight muscles lead to a decreased range of motion, which is the ideal recipe for back pain. Regular back stretches can help heal existing injuries and prevent future back pain.

Related Reading

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20 Best Back Stretches to Increase Back Flexibility

When it comes to increasing back flexibility, targeting a range of muscles and back structures is crucial. In the case of the back, several distinct muscles and structures can limit your flexibility and range of motion, including the following:

• Lower back (lumbar spine)
• Mid-back (thoracic spine)
• Upper back (scapular region)
• Associated muscles (such as the lats and traps)

Improving flexibility in these areas can help relieve tension, improve mobility, and reduce the risk of injury. A diverse set of stretches can help target each area to promote back health and function.

1. Cat-Cow Stretch

The Cat-Cow stretch is a popular yoga pose for stretching the lower back: 

• Start on hands and knees in a tabletop position with a straight back.
• Slowly tilt the pelvis back, allowing the spine to curve inward.
• Breathe in during the movement and lift the head to look upward.
• Move the pelvis in the opposite direction, letting the spine round.
• Draw the navel toward the spine while breathing in.
• Slowly drop the head to look toward the ground.
• Repeat the cycle several times.

2. Knee-to-Chest Stretch

A knee-to-chest stretch lengthens the lower back muscles:

• Lie flat on your back.
• Bring both knees toward your chest and wrap your arms around your upper shins.
• Gently squeeze with your arms to pull the knees closer to your chest.
• Hold the position for 15 seconds before releasing.

3. Child's Pose

Child's Pose is another popular yoga position for lengthening the lower back:

• Start on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees slightly wider than your hips.
• Slowly sit back onto your legs while reaching forward with your arms, gently resting your forehead on the floor.
• Lengthen your spine as much as possible without overstretching.
• Hold the position for 20 seconds.

4. Pelvic Tilt

Pelvic tilts engage the abdominal muscles and stretch the lower back:

• Lie on your back and bend your legs so your knees point to the ceiling, with your feet flat.
• Relax your back to create a slight curve in the spine.
• Tense your abdominal muscles to straighten the spine.
• Hold the position for 10 seconds, then repeat the exercise 10 times.

5. Bridge Pose

The bridge pose involves the gluteus maximus muscles, which are at the back of the thighs underneath the hips:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart.
• Push into your feet and activate your gluteus maximus muscles to lift your lower back, aligning your hips with your shoulders and knees.
• Keep your hands flat on the ground for stability.
• Hold the pose for 15 seconds, then lower your body to the ground.
• Repeat the exercise 5 times.

6. Cobra Stretch

A Cobra stretch is another yoga pose that people commonly use to improve flexibility:

• Lie on your stomach facing the ground.
• Place your hands shoulder-width apart, just in front of your hips, and slowly push into them.
• Let your upper body rise from the ground while pushing into your hands and pressing your hips into the ground.
• Hold the position at the top for 15 seconds.
• Release back to the ground and repeat 5 times.

7. Supine Twist

The supine twist stretches the lower back and gluteus maximus muscles:

• Lie on your back with your arms outstretched to create a T position.
• Lift both feet and bring your knees toward your chest until your shins parallel the ground.
• Keep your palms and shoulders flat on the ground, and lower your knees to one side of the body.
• Hold the position for 20 seconds, then switch to the other side.
• Repeat several times on each side.

8. Bird-Dog

Bird-Dog is a valuable stretch for building core strength and relieving tension in the lower back:

• Start on hands and knees, ensuring your shoulders are over your hands and hips are over your knees.
• Tighten your abdominal muscles and extend one arm straight forward at shoulder level.
• Lift and extend the opposite leg straight out from the hip.
• Tighten the muscles and hold the position for 15 seconds.
• Return to the start position and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.
• Perform 5 repetitions on each side.

9. Wall Angels

If you sit down all day or have been hitting your upper body workouts hard, Wall Angels is a tremendous dynamic back stretch to activate muscles in the upper back and chest. They involve standing against a wall and moving your arms from a ‘W’ to a ‘Y’ position, helping improve posture by lengthening the chest and back muscles.

How to do wall angels:

• Place your back against the wall, with your feet about 20cm in front of you and your legs slightly bent.
• Keep a neutral spine by drawing your belly button toward your spine and drawing your ribcage in and down.
• Place your arms 90 degrees on the wall, with your elbows and the back of your hands in contact with it.
• Slowly straighten your arms, moving them up the wall to above your head in a Y position, keeping contact with the wall with your back, head, and hands.
• Pause, then slowly lower your arms back down. Repeat.

10. Open Book Rotations

A great back stretch for the mid and upper back, Open Book Rotations increase the range of motion and relieve tension. It involves lying on one side and opening up your chest and shoulders to place your wrist on the floor behind you – just like opening a book (hence the name).

It looks easy, but it’s pretty tricky – so don’t be frustrated if you can’t get your hand to the floor from the outset. Whilst these are traditionally dynamic, they can be made into a static back stretch by holding the stretch for 20-30 seconds on each side.

How to do open book rotations:

• Lie on your side with your arms straight out in front of you, stacked on each other. Your legs should be stacked and bent at 90 degrees.
• Rotate your top arm over your body, moving it behind you as close to the ground as possible. Your chest will open towards the ceiling, but your hips and legs should stay fixed.
• Pause, then return the arm to the starting position.
• Repeat for 10 reps, then turn over and repeat on the other sides.

11. Wall Slides

Wall Slides are a great dynamic back stretch that increases mobility in the shoulders and upper back—particularly in the traps. They train your body to sit straighter and counteract slouching, which can help prevent back pain and keep injuries at bay.

How to do wall slides:

• Stand facing the wall, placing your forearms against it at a 90-degree angle, fingers facing the ceiling, and palms facing one another.
• Slide your forearms up the wall, keeping them in contact with the wall as you move.
• Straighten your arms as much as possible, holding the position at the top for a few seconds before sliding your forearms back down to the starting position.
• Repeat the movement.
• Place a mini band around your wrists to increase difficulty, creating tension as you press your hands upward.

12. Downdog To Cobra

Taken straight from your Sunday morning yoga session, the Downward Dog into Cobra Stretch is an excellent back stretch. It places the spine—and back—in a controlled level of flexion, which helps to extend and stretch not only your lower back but your hamstrings, calves, shoulders, and arms, contributing to better posture and stretching the whole body.

This dynamic back stretch is suitable to get blood flowing through your muscles at the start of your workout but can also be used as a static stretch by holding each position for 20-30 seconds.

How to do the cobra to downdog stretch:

• Lie flat on a mat, placing your hands just before your hips.
• Straighten your arms, keeping your hips in contact with the ground.
• Look up and arch your back.
• Transition to Downward Dog:some text
  • Keep your hands in the same position.
  • Lift your hips off the ground as high as possible while keeping your legs straight.
  • Move onto your toes, pushing your palms into the ground.
  • Move your head in between your arms, looking back at your feet.

13. Supine Spine Twist

Simple but effective, the supine spine twist exercise is a great back stretch, lengthening the back muscles and increasing mobility. Performed lying on your back, the supine spine twist is generally safer than other twisting back stretches and is an effective way to relieve muscle tension—not only in the back but also in the hips and glutes.

Again, this back flexibility exercise can be dynamic or static. We prefer to perform the supine spine twist as a static stretch, relaxing into the stretch for a few breaths to release tension and promote calmness. This back flexibility exercise feels SO good; you'll love it.

How to do the supine spine twist:

• Lie down on a mat facing the ceiling.
• Place your arms directly to the side to help stabilize your body.
• Bring your knees up, creating a right angle with your legs.
• Slowly lower both legs to one side, keeping your back flat on the ground and your head facing upwards.
• Relax the legs to the side, then slowly lift them back to the middle.
• Repeat the movement on the other side.

14. Jefferson Curl

The Jefferson Curl is a dynamic back stretch that will lengthen and stretch the back and hamstrings, two key areas that contribute to lower back pain and discomfort. Few exercises take the spine through such an extended range of motion, and the deep back stretch experienced at the bottom of the movement as the weight pulls you down is not comparable to any other movement.

It will also increase your range of motion and mobility, so if you're an athlete who needs to be able to touch your toes, the Jefferson Curl will help you get there.

How to do the Jefferson curl:

• Start with a lightweight and keep it close to your body as you lower it down.
• For a deeper back stretch, stand on a box to increase the range of motion.
• Bend your knees and keep a straight back when picking up your weight.
• Place your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the weight with both hands.
• Relax your arms, and curl your back over as if trying to touch your toes.
• Keep your legs and arms straight during the entire stretch.
• Relax at the bottom of the movement and exhale, embracing the stretch.
• Hold for a few seconds before slowly returning to the top.
• Repeat the movement.

15. Kneeling Thoracic Twists

Thoracic back mobility exercises relieve the lower and mid-back from tightness and aches. The Kneeling Thoracic Twist does just that, improving back mobility and reducing tension in the middle of your back.

If you sit at a desk all day, rounding your thoracic spine and kneeling thoracic twists are great backstretches to relieve mid-back stiffness.

How to do the kneeling thoracic twists:

• Start by kneeling on one knee.
• Place both palms flat on the ground in line with your front foot.
• Rotate your torso, lifting your arm up and over your front leg.
• Twist until your shoulder, elbow, and hand are lined, pointing towards the ceiling.
• Keep your neck and head neutral throughout the movement, following the torso naturally.
• Slowly return to the start position.
• Perform this back mobility exercise on both sides.

16. Chin Drop

The chin drop is a stretch for your upper back and the deep muscles along the entire spine. Back stiffness can originate from the neck and upper back and show itself in the lower regions of the back. This stretch can help address all areas of the back.

One technical (but necessary) note: experiencing a stretch in your neck or the upper region of the back can signify a therapeutic muscular stretch. If you're feeling a stretch along your spine in the middle or lower back, it may indicate tension within your spinal cord, known as dural tension.

Relieve Back Tension with Gentle Mobility

While dural tension isn't necessarily harmful, it can irritate the nervous system, leading to more discomfort or pain in your back. If you notice this, try holding the stretch (as described below) for only a second and keep the stretch very mild. Then, return to the starting position and repeat for 15 to 20 reps. Tight nerves tend to respond well to this type of gentle stretching pattern.

You can do the chin drop standing or seated or incorporate it into other stretches in this list. The key is not to do this quickly, as you don’t want to jar the neck suddenly.

How to:

• Stand upright with feet shoulder-width apart and hands behind your back.
• Slowly exhale through your mouth and drop your chin to your chest, feeling the stretch in the back of the neck.
• Inhale through the nose while maintaining the stretch, and exhale to drop your chin further toward your chest with each breath.
• Programming Recommendations: Do 3-4 sets of 30-second holds, either centered or to the sides.
• Optionally, incorporate chin drops into other stretches for a deeper stretch.

17. Cross-Body Arm Stretch

This stretch targets the upper back, shoulders, and triceps. Back flexibility may be an issue because your triceps and shoulders are tight so this stretch can be helpful. When doing this, try to reach across your body as much as possible to stretch the upper back, and then use your other arm to secure the arm in the stretched position.

How To:

• In either a standing or seated position, reach one arm across your body as far as possible.
• Using your opposite hand, slowly pull the arm further across your body.
• Continue pulling the arm across while exhaling and inhaling deeply, focusing on feeling the back of the shoulder and upper back muscles lengthen.
• Programming Recommendations: Do 3-4 sets of 30-second holds per side.
• This is a great stretch to do any time of day, even outside of workouts.

18. Fan Stretch

This stretch primarily focuses on the hamstrings but can also target the back, depending on how far you can reach forward. Ideally, this stretch is done with a partner, although you can also use a weight to help increase your range of motion.

You can approach this stretch in different ways:

• Hold the stretch in the center, then move to the sides.
• Or, perform it dynamically, alternating between the sides and center.

There are some critical considerations. This stretch might not suit you if your lower back pain stems from disc issues in your lumbar spine (e.g., bulging or herniated discs). Lumbar spine flexion (forward bending) can aggravate disc-related pain and sensitivity.

Precautions for Stretching with Disc Issues and Back Injuries

If you suspect your back pain is due to disc-related issues, it may be best to avoid this stretch—and others involving forward bending of the spine—until your discs are healed.

For those recovering from back injuries or soreness (not involving the discs), it’s recommended to hold the stretch for 30 seconds, moving to the sides and back to the center for a balanced stretch.

How to:

• Sit on the ground with your legs spread apart into a wide “v” before you.
• Lean forward and reach your hands out, lengthening your torso while keeping your tailbone from tucking.
• Assist the stretch by using a partner or placing a weight in front of you, moving it forward to increase your range of motion.

Programming Recommendations: Hold the stretch for 30 seconds or longer. It is ideal after a workout or as a warm-up by moving dynamically between the sides and center.

19. Foam Roll Upper Back

Foam rolling the upper back can be a good way to relieve muscle tension in the lats, traps, and shoulder stabilizing muscles. It can also be conducive for mobilizing (loosening) the facet joints within your spine. When doing this, you want to move slowly, trying to find areas of tension, and then hold yourself over this spot for 10-30 seconds before moving on to the next place.

I often tell clients to seek out tight areas and, when they do find one, not to avoid it but to stop, place some of their body weight on that spot, and allow the muscle to release tension slowly before moving on.

How to:

• Lie your upper back on a foam roller with your hands behind your head or across your chest (hugging yourself). If your hands are behind your head, do not pull your head up; you may also incorporate a chin tuck.
• The feet should be flat on the floor, with your belly pulled in (no lower back arch).
• Lift your hips slightly off the floor, rolling the foam roller from the bottom to the top of your shoulder blades (around the base of your neck), searching for areas of tension.
• Pause when you find an area of tension, allowing the muscle to contract and release.
• Leaning slightly to one side can help target specific areas, as tension may not be even across the upper back.

Programming Recommendations: For warm-ups, perform 3-4 sets of 8-10 controlled repetitions. Roll slowly, pause on tension spots to relieve muscle tension, and hold until relief is felt.

20. Foam Roll Lower Back

Like the foam rolling for the upper back, the lower back foam rolling exercise can help you address tension in the lower back and hips. When doing this, you want to ensure you are not rolling directly along the spine but taking time to roll slightly off-center on one side of the lower back and then do the other.

How to:

• Lie down with your lower back on a foam roller, hands beside your torso, and feet flat on the floor for support.
• Adjust your hips and knees to 90 degrees for a more neutral lower back position when the roller applies pressure. Find the most comfortable position for your lower back.
• Elevate your hips slightly to place more weight on the foam roller, and roll slowly from the hips to the middle of your back in an up-and-down motion.
• Search for areas of tension by slightly shifting your body to one side to target one side of the lower back more.
• If sharp pain or pinching occurs when rolling, it may indicate a facet joint issue. Avoid rolling over painful areas and consider another stretch or exercise until the issue is resolved.

Programming Recommendations: Perform this as a warm-up, cool-down, or gentle stretch. Roll slowly and search for tension. When you find an area, pause and keep tension on the muscle until it releases.

Related Reading

• How Frequently Should Flexibility Exercises Be Performed for Best Results?
• Strength and Flexibility Training
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• How Can Flexibility Training Reduce the Risk of Back Pain?
• Flexibility Exercises at Home
• Benefits of Flexibility
• Flexibility Exercises for Beginners
• Flexibility Sports Examples
• Flexibility Workout Plan
• How to Become Flexible if You Are Very Stiff
• How Many Days Per Week Can You Perform Flexibility Exercises?
• Types of Flexibility Exercises
• Why Is It Important for Athletes to Be Flexible
• Back Stretches for Flexibility

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