The Best Stretches to Help with Back and Hip Pain

Lower back and hip pain is incredibly common thanks to the hours and hours we spend sitting and toiling away on computers and devices. Finding the right stretches, mobility drills and strengthening exercises that will help reset your body and spending a few minutes each day consistently performing them can help keep you pain free and tracking toward your fitness goals. 

If lower back and hip aches and pains are slowing you down, give the exercises below a try. Note, if these cause you pain or don't feel right, STOP IMMEDIATELY and consult a doctor. I have a list of referrals here if you need one. If you have an acute injury or are under medical care consult with your doctor before trying these. 

I suggest trying the exercises below in the order they are listed. Start with gentle foam rolling and stretching to warm up tight fascia and lengthen hypertonic muscles. Then move on to core and glute activation and hip extension to get "sleepy" muscles back on line. Add in my favorite hamstring and shoulder mobility drills if needed and then finish with some dynamic hip and/or total body warm ups.

Obviously there are a lot of movements here. You can do all of them and build yourself an awesome mobility day program. Or you can experiment and find the ones that provide you the best relief/results and make those part of your daily routine. 

Foam Roll Glutes and Piriformis 

Table Pigeons

Gentle Psoas/Hip Flexor Stretch

Banded Psoas/Hip Flexor Stretch

Bird Bogs

Dead Bugs

Bodyweight Clams Side-lying

Banded Side Steps

Glute Bridges

Bent Knee Hip Extension 

Mid Back and Shoulder Mobility 

Check out this post for three of my most effective mid back and shoulder warm ups. 

Hamstring Mobility 

Check out this post for my #1 most effective hamstring warm up. 

Dynamic Hip Warm Ups

Check out this post for three of my favorite dynamic hip warm ups. 

Total Body Dynamic Warm Up