15 Hip and Lower Back Stretches For Immediate Pain Relief (2024)

The stretching routine below will gently release all that tightness from your hips and lower back.

This hip and lower back stretching routine targets the primary hip and lower back muscles that tighten up quickly: Muscles like the hip flexors, the piriformis, the hamstring, and the adductors.

You will also release the lower back paraspinal muscles that can tighten up from prolonged sitting.

Symptoms of Tight Hips and Lower Back Muscles:

• Sudden sharp pain in your lower back, left or right side after bending over or increased activity.
• Stiffness in your hips and noticing a decrease in mobility.
• Pain in the groin area.
• Muscle tightness and spasms in the lower back, deep gluteal area.
• Piriformis pain from sitting or standing.
• Sciatica pain that increases with activity.
• Poor posture.

The goal of this routine is to help re-align your joints and release tightness so you can get relief naturally. Please watch the video tutorial below for the guided routine.

15 Hip and Lower Back Stretches for Immediate Relief

Hold each stretch for 40-50 seconds, and you will release all tension and tightness, allowing you to relieve pain and discomfort. I included the guided video routine below:

Child Pose Latissimus Dorsi Stretch

Targeted Muscles: Latissimus dorsi, shoulders, and lower back.

• Get in the Child’s pose position.
• Raise your hips above your knees.
• Extend one arm forward and rest your head on the other hand.
• Push your hips back and lengthen your back.
• Now stretch both arms, feeling a nice stretch on each side of your back.
• Keep your hips above your knees.
• Hold for 50 seconds

Psoas Stretch (hip flexors)

Targeted Muscles: Psoas, quadriceps, and Iliacus.

• Kneel on one knee to stretch the hip flexor and front of the thigh.
• Keep your back straight.
• Perform a slight posterior pelvic tilt.
• Hold for 50 seconds and switch sides.

Hip Opening Stretch (Hip Circles)

Targeted Muscles: Hip flexors, glutes, adductors, and hip rotators.

• Switch to the other leg, still kneeling on one knee.
• Rotate your hips in a circular motion to open up and loosen your tight hips.
• Repeat these circles for 50 seconds and switch sides.

90-degree Sitting Stretch (Back Straight)

Targeted Muscles: The glutes, piriformis, hip rotators, and lower back.

• Sit with your legs stretched in front of you.
• Keep your back straight, forming a 90-degree angle from your back, hips and ankles.
• Push against your hands for support.
• Lengthen your legs and stretch out your hamstrings.
• Hold for 50 seconds.

Scoop Rhomboids Stretch

Targeted Muscles: The rhomboids, trapezius, and upper back muscles.

• Stay in the seated position.
• Extend your legs and bend them at the knees slightly, keeping your heels on the floor.
• Extend your arms and grab your hamstrings with your hands.
• Keep your head down and round your upper back as you lean back.
• Hold for 50 seconds.

Seated Twists

Targeted Muscles: obliques, erector spinae, Quadratus Lumborum, and lower back area.

• Get into a cross-legged position.
• Straighten your back and twist your torso to one side.
• Rest your hand on the opposite knee to stretch the lower back muscles, piriformis, and glutes.
• Switch sides.

Supine Piriformis Stretch

Targeted Muscles: Piriformis, glutes, and lower back.

• Lie on your back.
• Keep your back and hips on the floor.
• Bring one knee across your body toward the opposite side, stretching the piriformis and lower back.
• Go as far as you comfortably can.
• Hold for 50 seconds and switch sides.

Band Hamstring Stretch

Targeted Muscles: Hamstrings, calves, and lower back.

• Grab an open-ended resistance band for a deeper stretch.
• Lie on your back.
• Loop the band around one foot.
• Lift your leg and bring your heels towards the ceiling.
• Keep your leg slightly bent at the knees.
• Stretch the hamstring and keep the opposite leg on the ground.

Band Adductor Stretch

Targeted Muscles: Adductors, calves, and sartorius.

• Keeping the band anchored, now bring your leg internally across the leg on the floor.
• Then, open up your leg, extending the straightened leg out to the side.
• Push your heel against the band as you stretch out the adductor muscle.
• Gently bring your leg to the center and switch sides.

Butterfly Stretch

Targeted Muscles: Adductors, inner thighs

• Sit with your feet together.
• Pull your heels toward the center of your body while keeping your back straight.
• Press knees down, stretching the inner thighs and hips.
• Only stretch to what’s comfortable for you.
• Hold for 30-50 seconds.

Lying Pretzel Stretch

Targeted Muscles: Glutes, lower back, and obliques.

• lie on your back and bend one leg.
• Extend your arms to each side.
• Slowly lift your hips off the floor and cross your right leg over to the left side.
• Hold for 50 seconds, return to the starting position, and repeat on the other side.

Posture Tip: Ensure your body is in a straight line from your head to your toes before you cross one leg over.

Figure 4 Piriformis Stretch

Targeted Muscles: Piriformis, glutes, and hip rotators.

• Lie on your back with your legs extended.
• Bend your right knee and turn your hip to place your right ankle on top of your left thigh.
• Bend your left leg and bring it towards your chest.
• Grab your left hamstring to increase the intensity of the stretch.
• Hold for 50 seconds and return to the starting position.
• Switch sides

Internal Rotations

Targeted Muscles: Hip external and internal rotators, adductors, and glutes.

• Sit with your legs slightly bent in front of you.
• Rotate your right hip inward, bringing the knee toward the floor.
• Slowly bring it back to the center and repeat it with the other side.

Movement Tip: Keep the movements small and focus on moving your hips in and out as you stretch out the piriformis muscle and Tensor Fasciae lattae.

Toe Touch

Targeted Muscles: Hamstrings, calves, and lower back.

• While seated on your mat, stand with your feet straight and shoulder-width apart.
• Bend forward at the waist and reach toward your toes.
• Slowly round your back and relax your arms down.
• Stretch the hamstrings and lower back.
• Hold and transition into the back roll

Back Roll

Targeted Muscles: Full Back

• Slowly roll up, stretching your mid-back.
• Round your shoulder forward to increase the stretch in the rhomboid muscles.
• Slowly come back up

I hope you found this post helpful. I would follow this routine twice a week to keep things in alignment and maintain muscle balance.