Hips and lower back
7 Low Lunge variations, from gentlest to strongest
Also called anjaneyasana, kneeling lunge, hip flexor lunge.
The library's main position for the front of the hip, which is the part sitting shortens. The versions differ in step length and in what your hands rest on, and both of those change how much the lower back has to supply.
Start here
The list runs from the most supported version to the most demanding. Low Lunge: Supported Chair is the one to begin with. Harder is not better: the version you can do without gripping is the one doing the work.
Every version in the library
1 · Hip Mobility · 30 to 60 seconds
Low Lunge: Supported Chair
The most accessible lunge: chair support creates an upright position that opens your hip flexors with minimal demand on your spine, suitable for almost everyone.
Make it work for you: Short stance. Blanket under back knee
2 · Hip Mobility · 30 to 60 seconds
Low Lunge: Small Range
A small, gentle rock forward and back in a kneeling lunge: enough movement to open your hip and ankle without asking for a deep, held stretch.
3 · Hip Mobility · 30 to 60 seconds
Low Lunge: Short Stance
A shorter step reduces the stretch intensity, making hip flexor opening more accessible while still delivering meaningful mobility benefits for your hips and spine.
Make it work for you: Chair support. Blocks. Blanket under back knee
4 · Hip Mobility · 40 to 80 seconds
Low Lunge: Twist
Improves coordinated mobility through the hips, spine and upper body.
Make it work for you: Shorter stance. Smaller twist. Hand on block
5 · Hip Mobility · 30 to 60 seconds
Low Lunge: With Blocks
Blocks under your hands raise your torso, making the lunge more comfortable and accessible while still providing valuable hip flexor opening.
Make it work for you: Short stance. Blanket under back knee
6 · Hip Mobility · 30 to 60 seconds
Low Lunge: Classic
Opens your hip flexors while gently stretching the front of your hip and thigh: this is one of the most important poses for counteracting the effects of prolonged sitting.
Make it work for you: Short stance. Blocks. Chair
7 · Hip Mobility · 30 to 60 seconds
Low Lunge: Movement
A moving, kneeling lunge that gently prepares your hips and ankles for standing practice through controlled, repeated movement rather than one long hold.
Make it work for you: Smaller range. Shorter hold. Reduce depth
When to stop and ask someone
Nothing on this page can tell whether what you are feeling is ordinary mechanical back pain or something that needs looking at, and the published guidance is direct about that distinction. NICE asks clinicians to think about alternative diagnoses when symptoms are new or have changed, and to exclude specific causes such as cancer, infection, trauma or inflammatory disease.
In practice that means stopping and speaking to someone rather than working through it if the pain followed a significant fall or accident, if it comes with fever or unexplained weight loss, if it wakes you at night and does not change when you change position, or if there is weakness in a leg rather than only pain.
One group needs same-day medical attention rather than a phone call: numbness around the groin or back passage, any change in bladder or bowel control, or weakness developing in both legs.
- NICE NG59, low back pain and sciatica in over 16s, recommendation 1.1.1
Think about alternative diagnoses when examining or reviewing people with low back pain, particularly if they develop new or changed symptoms, and exclude specific causes such as cancer, infection, trauma or inflammatory disease.
Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.
Every version above is drawn from the clinically authored Vinys library. This page is general movement information, not medical advice, and it is not a diagnosis. What helps for a specific condition.