Move · Videos · Mobility · 11 min

Six-Exercise Low Back Care Routine

Six-Exercise Low Back Care Routine — video by Tone and Tighten Play · 10:38

Video by Tone and Tighten on YouTube · Open on YouTube

A physical therapist's back-care routine done lying on the floor: lumbar rotation, piriformis and hamstring stretches, then pelvic tilts, glute bridges and bird dogs, with a countdown for each. A short, gentle option for people who want to look after their lower back.

  • 11 min
  • Beginner
  • Low impact (no jumping)
  • mat
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Step by step 6

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  1. Lumbar rotation: knees bent, let both knees fall to one side, shoulders down; 20 seconds each way, three times. 0:35
  2. Piriformis stretch: cross one leg over and pull the other knee towards your chest; 20 seconds each side. 2:42
  3. Hamstring stretch: hands behind the knee, straighten the leg towards the ceiling; 20 seconds each side. 4:43
  4. Pelvic tilts: arch your back off the mat, then flatten it down, three seconds each; skip if it aggravates. 6:56
  5. Glute bridges: squeeze your glutes to lift your hips, hold for three, then lower; don't pull with the hamstrings. 8:26
  6. Bird dogs: on all fours, reach one arm forward and the opposite leg back, hold for two, then switch. 9:25

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Keep your shoulders on the floor as your knees fall to the side
  • Hold a gentle stretch for longer rather than pulling hard
  • In bridges, squeeze your glutes to lift instead of pulling with the hamstrings

What it works

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Joints it uses light on the joints

  • Shoulders movesbird dogs, hands on floor
  • Wrists & hands movesbird dogs on all fours
  • Lower back movespelvic tilts, lumbar rotations, bridges, bird dogs
  • Hips movespiriformis and hamstring stretches, bridges
  • Knees movesbird dogs on all fours
  • Kneeling. Pressure on the kneecaps — a folded towel or cushion under the knees helps.
  • Weight on your hands. The wrists bend back under load. Fists, push-up handles or your forearms ease it.
  • Down on the floor. You get down to the floor and back up again.

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

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Video by Tone and Tighten; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety