Due to a chronic back problem, I do daily back stretching exercises which require me to get on the floor on my back. If I want to stay pain-free, I must do these twice daily. It really works.

My dog, Dakota John, likes to join me on the floor and do his back exercises, too, as you can see from this photo. Sometimes Theo will join in.

We do lower back stretches and psoas stretches. If you’ve got a lower back problem, you might also benefit from these stretching exercises. Consult your physician or chiropractor before doing any of these. They may have specific exercises to benefit your situation.

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The first one stretches the lower back. Lie on the floor, bring knees up like in the photo. Tilt the hips in a rocking motion to flatten the back against the floor. Hold for a few seconds. This stretches the lower back muscles and strenthens the stomach muscles. Stretching the opposite muscles in the butt is also important. So, with knees bent, bring one ankle to rest across the thigh, as if you’re crossing your legs. Then gently pull the bent leg toward your chest and try to hold it for 10-15 seconds. You’ll feel the muscle burn a bit. Ease back and do the other leg.

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The psoas muscle is a major muscle that crosses the groin from the thigh to the hip. It’s a problem area for many. There are many ways to stretch this. I do it many ways, sometimes on a stairway as I’m going up, I put my right foot on 2 or 3 steps up, then lean forward a bit to feel the left side stretching. I try to hold this for 10-20 seconds. Another way is while on the floor: first from a ”doggy” position, I extend the stiff side out behind me, then crouch down further so the front of my leg rests on the floor. Then the opposite is a hamstring stretch.

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As I learned the hard way, stretching is very important for back health. If I neglect to do these daily, in a few days I can feel my back getting stiffer and I know I’m headed for trouble.