You bend to pick up a sock, and your lower back lets you know about it before you’re halfway down. When that’s a regular part of your day, a goal like touching your toes can feel a long way off, or even a little risky. With a few small changes, you can work towards it in a way that feels comfortable for your back.

Bending forward is safe to practise

Many people worry that bending forward will damage their back, especially when it already aches. Research looking at bending and lifting hasn’t found good evidence that rounding your back is what causes back pain. Clinical guidelines recommend staying active and exercising when your lower back aches, and gentle stretching is one way to do that.

Your back is strong and built to bend. When it aches, it often feels more protective, so the aim is to move it gently and often rather than avoid bending altogether.

Letting your hips do more of the work

When you reach for your toes, your hips should bend first and your back follows. If your hips and the backs of your legs feel tight, your lower back often ends up doing more of the bending. You could try:

• Pushing your hips back as you fold, as if closing a drawer with your bottom.
• Keeping a soft bend in your knees, so your hamstrings (the muscles at the back of your thighs) pull less on your lower back.
• Resting your hands on your thighs, a chair or a desk for support on the way down and back up.

Practising this hip hinge in everyday moments, like loading the dishwasher, can make it feel more natural during your stretches too.

Finding your comfortable range

A mild pull in the backs of your legs is fine. Discomfort in your back that builds as you go, or that lingers for more than a day afterwards, is a sign to try a smaller range for a while. Some days your back will feel looser than others, and that’s normal.

How your reach builds over time

Much of the early progress with stretching comes from your nervous system getting used to the stretch, so it lets you go a little further each time. Regular practice matters more than pushing hard. About 10 minutes a week for each area is enough to see changes, and your daily goal video covers this.

Stronger muscles through your hips, legs and back can also support your reach. Your goal videos include strength moves through a full range, alongside the stretches.

Something to try this week

Before each goal video, try five slow hip hinges with your hands on the back of a chair, pushing your hips back and going only as far as feels comfortable.

What to take away

• Practise bending forward gently and often.
• Let your hips lead, with soft knees.
• Practise the hip hinge in everyday moments. 
• Stay in a comfortable range on days your back feels stiffer.

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