8 Stretches for your low back - ECO Physiotherapy

Motion is lotion. To improve your range of motion and reduce stiffness your body needs to stretch and move.

Did you know there are 3 different ways to stretch?

Let’s do a quick breakdown of stretching then get into the exercises.

Static Stretching

This means bringing a muscle into its end range of motion where a stretch or slight discomfort is produced and holding it there for a set amount of time. This type of stretching is effective in increasing range of motion by increasing your ability to more stretching force. This type of stretching is not recommended prior to exercise as it may reduce strength and performance (1, 2).

I will do a quick side note here: There is a form of stretching called Ballistic stretching which you may recognize it as “bouncing or bobbing in and out of the stretch”, for example you go into a hamstring stretch then bounce up and down rather than just holding it. This is no longer a recommended way of stretching as there is higher risk of injury (1).

Dynamic Stretching

This type of stretching uses a controlled movement through the full range of motion and repeating several times (1,2). So in the case of the hamstring stretch, you might swing the leg back and forth in standing, where the hamstring moves from relaxed to stretched. It is different than ballistic, because in the ballistic you stay in the stretch sensation and push further where in this type of stretch you put the muscle into stretch then come out of the stretch completely, so you never go beyond the muscles tolerance.

This is a preferred method of stretching before exercise because it is likely using moving patterns that you might be doing in your exercise routine, it helps increase your core temperature (i.e warms up the muscles), makes the muscle more compliant (i.e more likely to be stretchy) and causes the body to accelerate energy production (2).

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Stretching

This type of stretching includes squeezing the muscle at 75-100% of maximal contraction followed by stretching that muscle. Or vice versa stretching and holding the muscle, then coming out of the stretch and contracting the muscle, then going back into the stretch again (1, 2). The studies are not conclusive if this type of stretching improves athletic performance but does improve range of motion.

Let’s get on with the exercises for low back range of motion. With each exercise, you can do a static stretch by holding for 30 seconds or a dynamic stretch by holding for 5 seconds, releasing the stretch and repeating 5 more times.