10min
Mobility
Floor Yoga for Back and Hips
A floor-based practice with Bird Dog, gentle backbends, Bridge and a reclined leg stretch.
Beginner · 12 poses
Gentle movement for everyday stiffness
Yoga for back pain and stiffness
Gentle, slow movement for a stiff back: easy spinal mobility, supported floor poses and steady breathing.
Everyday back stiffness often comes from long periods of sitting or staying in one position. Gentle movement can help many people feel looser and more comfortable. Clinical guidelines for common low back pain, such as those from the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), list exercise, including yoga, among the options worth considering.
The practices here keep movement slow and supported. They move the spine in all its directions (forwards, backwards, sideways and twisting) with plenty of rest, and they build gentle strength in the hips and core that support the back.
Tips for practice
- Move slowly and stay well within a comfortable range.
- Bend the knees in forward folds to take strain off the lower back.
- Favour small, repeated movements over long, deep holds.
- Stop if pain increases, spreads down a leg, or comes with numbness or tingling.
Practise safely
Seek medical advice promptly if back pain follows a fall or injury, is severe or worsening, or comes with numbness, weakness, fever, or problems controlling your bladder or bowel. This guide is general wellbeing information, not medical advice.
Guided practices
20min
Mobility
Floor Yoga for Back and Hips
A twenty-minute floor sequence with Bird Dog, Extended Puppy and repeated backbends, followed by a quiet finish.
Beginner · 16 poses
15min
Mobility
Desk Yoga Reset
A longer desk break that moves from seated and all-fours work into standing stretches, then returns to the floor.
Complete beginner · 14 poses
Poses to know
Cat–Cow
Marjaryasana–Bitilasana
Child’s Pose
Balasana
Sphinx Pose
Salamba Bhujangasana
Knees-to-Chest
Apanasana
Reclined Twist
Supta Matsyendrasana
Questions people ask
Is yoga good for lower back pain?
For many people with common, non-specific low back stiffness, gentle exercise such as yoga is a reasonable option, and it appears in clinical guidance alongside other exercise. It is not a substitute for assessment if pain is severe, persistent or follows an injury.
Which yoga poses should I avoid with a sore back?
Avoid deep or forced forward folds, strong twists and big backbends while your back is sore. Choose supported, gentle versions and keep movements small.
How long until I feel a difference?
Some people feel looser after a single gentle session. Lasting change usually takes regular practice over several weeks.