Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain can arise if you spend most of your workday sitting in a chair. If you sit for long, you already know the feeling. It starts as a dull ache in your lower back, and by 3:00 PM, it feels like a tight knot that won’t loosen up.

You aren’t alone. Sitting for hours puts significant pressure on your spine and hip flexors.

The good news? You don’t need to quit your job or buy a 500,000 ergonomic chair to get relief. You just need to move.

Here are 5 simple, physiotherapist-approved stretches you can do right at your desk in less than five minutes.

1. The Seated Figure-Four Stretch

This stretch targets your glutes and piriformis muscles, which get incredibly tight from prolonged sitting and pull on your lower back.

  • How to do it: Sit upright in your chair. Cross your right ankle over your left knee, forming a “4” shape. Keep your spine straight and gently lean forward from your hips until you feel a deep stretch in your right hip.
  • Hold for 20–30 seconds, then switch sides.

2. The Desk Cat-Cow

Borrowed from yoga, this movement gently mobilizes the spine, lubricates the joints, and eases stiffness.

  • How to do it: Sit slightly forward in your chair with your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on your thighs. Inhale, arch your back, and look up toward the ceiling (Cow). Exhale, round your spine, tuck your chin, and look down toward your belly button (Cat).
  • Repeat: 5 to 10 times, moving smoothly with your breath.

3. The Seated Spinal Twist

Sitting with static locks your spine in one plane of movement. This twist introduces gentle rotation to release the mid and lower back.

  • How to do it: Sit tall with your feet flat. Place your left hand on the outside of your right knee. Place your right hand on the back of your chair seat or armrest. Gently twist your torso to the right, looking over your right shoulder.
  • Hold for 15–20 seconds, then switch sides. Do not force or wrench your back.

4. Standing Chair Hip Flexor Stretch

When you sit, your hip flexors (the muscles at the front of your hips) shorten. Short hip flexors pull your pelvis forward, creating a painful arch in your lower back.

  • How to do it: Stand up and place one foot flat on your chair seat. Keep your torso completely upright. Gently push your hips forward until you feel a stretch in the front of the hip of your standing leg.
  • Hold for 20 seconds per side.

5. The Seated Hamstring Reach

Tight hamstrings (the back of your thighs) are a massive, hidden cause of lower back pain because they literally pull down on your pelvis.

  • How to do it: Sit on the very edge of your chair. Extend one leg straight out in front of you with your heel on the floor and toes pointing up. Keep your back straight—don’t slouch—and gently hinge forward from the hips until you feel a stretch down the back of your leg.
  • Hold for 30 seconds per leg.

The Golden Rule: Motion is Lotion

Doing these stretches once a week won’t undo forty hours of sitting. The secret to a pain-free back is consistency. Try setting a timer on your phone to pop up every 60 to 90 minutes. Stand up, pick just two of these stretches, and give your body a reset.

Still feeling tight?

If your back pain persists, radiates down your legs, or gets worse, stretching might not be enough. It could be time for a personalized assessment.

Click here to book a session with one of our physiotherapists today, and let’s get you moving pain-free!