Bites · Everyday TCM · Pain & Injuries · Move · About 8–10 minutes
Work at your comfort. Cat-Cow wakes the spine, knee-to-chest and trunk rotation ease the lumbar curve, and a chair twist helps at the desk.
In brief
Four home moves often used for lumbar stiffness: Cat-Cow on hands and knees, knee-to-chest on the back, gentle trunk rotation with knees bent, and a seated office chair twist. Hold each stretch about 10 to 20 seconds where noted. Stay inside a kind range and ease off if the stretch turns sharp.
Routine
Start on hands and knees. Align wrists under the shoulders and knees under the hips. Inhale, drop the belly, lift the chin and chest, and look up. Hold 5 to 10 seconds. Exhale, draw the belly toward the spine, round the back, and drop the head. Hold 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat 10 to 20 times.
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat. Use your arms to pull one knee toward the chest while the other foot stays flat. Hold 10 to 20 seconds, lower, then switch. Repeat three times on each side.
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat. Arms out to the sides, palms down. Keep the knees together and bring them to about 90 degrees. Gently roll both bent knees to one side; hold 10 to 20 seconds. Return to centre and repeat on the other side. Five times each side.
Sit upright with feet hip-width apart. Place the left hand on the outside of the right thigh and twist to the right, using the right hand on the chair back for support. Hold about 20 seconds. Repeat on the opposite side.
Try today Do Cat-Cow once today, then knee-to-chest, trunk rotation, and a chair twist.
Next step
Read the matching guide or pathway next. Book when you are ready for personalised care.
Stretch tips are educational, not personal medical advice. Book a consult for lumbar pain that keeps returning, or if pain follows a fall or sudden injury.
FAQs
Once a day is a common educational cadence. Keep the range kind. If lumbar pain lasts more than a few weeks, book rather than forcing extra load.
A gentle stretch through the spine is expected. Sharp lumbar pain means shorten the arch and round, or stop and rest. Do not bounce into the end range.
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