Lower back · 30–90 seconds, or a few slow holds

Knees to chest, the simplest thing your back asks for

One of the few movements that gives the lower back space instead of asking more of it.

This is about as low-demand as movement gets, which is the point: it is often available on a morning when nothing else is. Drawing the knees in gently opens the space at the back of the lower spine and lets muscles that have been holding on all night let go.

How to do it

1. 1

   Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat

   A flat cushion under the head is fine if that is more comfortable.

2. 2

   Draw one or both knees toward your chest

   Hold behind the thighs rather than over the shinbones — it is kinder to the knees and lets you control how far you go.

3. 3

   Hold, breathe, and let the lower back soften

   You are not pulling hard. The idea is to arrive somewhere comfortable and stay long enough for things to settle.

Make it easier

Take one leg at a time and leave the other foot on the floor — the library's single-leg version. It is gentler and lets you compare the two sides.

The mistake that undoes it

Yanking the knees in hard and fast. This is a movement that works by settling; force turns it into something you brace against.

If it produces pain travelling down a leg rather than easing it, stop and have the back assessed.

Also called knees to chest, knee to chest stretch, single knee to chest. Drawn from the clinically authored Vinys exercise library — how the method works. General movement guidance, not medical advice.