The Best Exercises for Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain is the most common physical complaint in the UK. Around 80 per cent of adults will experience it at some point, and for many it becomes a chronic, on-and-off problem that quietly shapes how they move, sleep and train.

The good news: for most people, most of the time, back pain responds extremely well to the right kind of movement. Rest and avoidance make it worse. Structured, appropriate exercise makes it better. Here are the six movements our rehab-focused trainers use most often with clients dealing with lower back pain.

A quick note before you start

This guide is for general, non-specific lower back pain — the kind that comes and goes, feels stiff and achy, and has no obvious injury cause. If you have shooting pain down your leg, numbness, weakness, or pain that came from a specific injury, see a physiotherapist or GP before you start any exercise programme.

1. Cat–Cow

The gentlest possible starting point. On hands and knees, slowly alternate between rounding your back toward the ceiling (cat) and letting it dip while lifting your chest and tailbone (cow). Move with your breath.

Two sets of ten slow reps. This restores basic mobility to a stiff spine and calms a nervous system that has learned to protect your back.

2. Bird Dog

From the same hands-and-knees position, extend your opposite arm and leg until they are level with your torso. Hold for two seconds, return, switch sides.

Two sets of eight per side. This teaches your deep core and glutes to stabilise your spine while your limbs move — the exact pattern most people with back pain have lost.

3. Glute Bridge

Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Squeeze your glutes and push your hips toward the ceiling, keeping your ribs down.

Three sets of twelve. Weak, sleepy glutes are a major driver of back pain because your lower back ends up doing their job.

4. Dead Bug

Lie on your back with your arms pointing at the ceiling and knees bent at 90 degrees over your hips. Slowly lower your opposite arm and leg toward the floor, keeping your lower back pressed flat. Return and switch.

Two sets of eight per side. Trains your core to resist extension — the single most protective quality for a painful back.

5. Hip Hinge Practice (Kettlebell Deadlift)

With a light kettlebell between your feet, push your hips back, keep a soft bend in your knees, and stand up by squeezing your glutes. Learning to bend from your hips instead of your lower back is the biggest single upgrade most people can make.

Three sets of eight, starting with a very light weight and focusing on form.

6. Suitcase Carry

Hold a moderate dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand and walk 20–30 metres, keeping your torso perfectly upright — don't let the weight pull you sideways. Switch hands and repeat.

Three trips per side. This trains your obliques and deep core to resist lateral bending, and it feels very functional very quickly.

How to programme these

Do all six movements, in the order above, three times a week for four weeks. Sessions take 20–25 minutes. Most people notice a meaningful reduction in stiffness and pain within two to three weeks.

The goal is not to do these forever — it is to get your back robust enough that you can go back to normal training, walking, running and lifting without flare-ups. Once you're pain-free, adding proper strength training two or three times a week is the best long-term insurance against back pain returning.

If your back pain is limiting your life and generic advice hasn't worked, a rehab-focused coach can build a programme around your specific movement patterns and history. Several of the trainers in the Winchester Personal Trainers network specialise in exactly this. Book a free consultation and we'll match you with one.