STIFF BACK? WE ALL GET ONE. TRY THESE!

 

Got a Stiff Back? Try These Five Exercises from a Movement Expert to Improve Flexibility and Mobility

Relieve tension with this quick, 10-minute routine that can be easily added to your day.

If you’re dealing with back stiffness or tension, this short but effective mobility routine created by Vanessa Michielon, Pilates teacher and founder of the Transformative Movement Method, could be just what you need. Vanessa’s five-exercise sequence takes only 10 minutes, helping to improve your back’s flexibility and mobility without a huge time commitment. Use it as a warm-up, cool-down, or even a standalone practice on rest days to ease tension and support recovery.

How to Perform This 5-Exercise Routine for a Flexible Back

1. Cat-Cow

Reps: 5-10

Cat-Cow is a foundational exercise to improve spinal flexibility, moving your spine through its full range. It can relieve tension in the lower back, mid-back, and neck.

How to do it:

• Begin on your hands and knees, wrists under shoulders, and knees under hips.

• Inhale as you move into cow pose by lifting your head and tailbone, letting your belly drop.

• Exhale as you shift to cat pose, tucking your chin toward your chest, rounding your spine, and pressing your hands into the floor.

• Flow between these positions, syncing with your breath.

2. Rolling Cat-Cow

Reps: 5-10

This variation builds on the Cat-Cow stretch, creating a rolling motion to enhance coordination and segmental mobility in the spine.

How to do it:

• Start in a child’s pose with your knees wide, arms stretched out, and forehead on the mat.

• Inhale as you roll forward to a tabletop position, lifting one vertebra at a time starting from your tailbone.

• Exhale as you arch your back and roll back into child’s pose, moving slowly and smoothly.

3. Seated Cat-Cow

Reps: 5-10

Perfect for lower back and hamstring flexibility, this seated variation is gentle on the wrists and knees.

How to do it:

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended. Reach forward to hold your toes or ankles (or use a yoga strap around your feet if needed).

• Inhale as you arch your back, lifting your chest and chin to feel a stretch in your lower back.

• Exhale as you round your spine, tucking your chin and rolling your pelvis backward.

• Alternate between these two movements in sync with your breath.

4. Soft Cobra

Reps: 5-10

This gentle backbend stretches the spine and abdomen, helping to relieve tension in the entire body.

How to do it:

• Lie on your stomach with your forearms on the floor in a sphinx pose, elbows wider than shoulders, and legs extended.

• Inhale as you press into your arms, lifting your chest into a soft cobra. If it’s uncomfortable, keep your forearms on the ground.

• Slowly sway side to side, creating gentle waves along your spine.

5. Forward Fold to Squat

Reps: 5-10

This exercise combines a forward fold with a squat to stretch the back, decompress the spine, and build hip and knee mobility.

How to do it:

• Stand with feet hip-width apart and knees soft.

• Fold forward from the hips, reaching for the floor, letting your head drop.

• Inhale as you bend your knees and push your hips back to lower into a squat, keeping heels grounded.

• Exhale as you straighten your legs, lifting your hips to return to a forward fold.

• Flow between these two positions, using your breath to guide you.

Add these moves into your daily routine for a more mobile, relaxed spine and less tension overall.