Lower back exercise
Knees-to-Chest StretchHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Lower back, Glutes
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the Knees-to-Chest Stretch?
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Lift one foot and then the other so your knees come up over your hips.
- Hold behind both thighs, just below the knees.
- Gently pull your knees towards your chest until you feel a stretch in your lower back.
- Hold for 20–30 seconds, breathing slowly, then lower one foot at a time.
Cues
- Head and shoulders stay down.
- Hug gently, do not yank.
- Breathe into your lower back.
Common mistakes
- Lifting your head off the floor: rest it down and only pull as far as is comfortable.
- Pulling on the shins: hold behind your thighs instead.
- Dropping both feet at once: lower them one at a time.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
Lying on the back, both knees drawn towards the chest with the hands holding behind the thighs, head and shoulders relaxed on the mat. The double-knee version is the one asked for; holding behind the thighs (NHS Berkshire) rather than over the shins keeps pressure off the knees.
Starting position
Lie face up on a mat, knees bent about 90°, feet flat and hip width apart, hips bent about 45°, arms by the sides, head resting on the mat (a thin cushion is fine).
The movement
Lift one foot and then the other off the floor, bringing the knees up over the hips. Hold behind both thighs just below the knees. Gently draw both knees towards the chest until a comfortable stretch is felt across the lower back and buttocks; the lower back rounds into the mat and the tailbone lifts slightly. Hold. The head and shoulders stay down; the knees stay hip width apart.
Breathing
Slow, deep belly breaths; draw the knees in a little on each exhale.
Tempo
Real sets: hold 20–30 s and repeat 3–5 times, or 8–10 gentle hug-and-release reps.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
- Knee flexion about 110–120° at the end, feet relaxed in the air.
- Elbows bend to about 90–110°; hands behind the thighs 5–10 cm below the knees.
- Head and both shoulder blades stay on the mat; knees 15–20 cm apart.
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Knees-to-Chest Stretch is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
