Ease your lower back pain and strengthen the supporting muscles with these three expert-approved Pilates exercises

If you spend a lot of time sitting at a desk or in a car, and not a lot of time exercising, you’re likely to experience aches and pains in your lower back from time to time.

It may seem like modern life can be incompatible with maintaining a mobile and pain-free body, and you may need to take steps to improve your mobility through stretching and gentle exercises, but it isn’t just a lack of mobility causing your back issues

“Lower back pain often comes from muscle imbalances in the body,” says Shing Yiing Ong, the owner and lead instructor of SHINE Movement Pilates. She says that tight hamstrings, weak glutes and a weak core put extra strain on the lower back, forcing it to shoulder more of the burden of keeping you upright and stable than it can cope with. “Over time, this imbalance can lead to discomfort and pain,” she adds.

These three exercises will strengthen the supporting muscles around the lower back while also stretching the area where you are likely to experience pain. Try them before aches and pains strike, and if any of these movements trigger pain, stop and consult a medical professional in person.

1. Shoulder bridge

This exercise will stretch your back and strengthen your glutes.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and your spine neutral.
• Inhale, feeling your ribcage expanding, and slowly tuck your tailbone and lift your hips off the mat.
• Hold for three to five breaths, focusing on lengthening the spine and squeezing your glutes.
• Slowly lower to the starting position.

2. Half roll down

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This exercise strengthens the core while stretching your back.

How to do it:

• Sit on your mat with your legs extended in front of you. Lengthen your spine and lightly hold the underside of your thighs.
• Inhale and, starting at the bottom of your ribcage, slowly round your back—flexing your spine—and lean back.
• Relax your shoulders and tuck your chin towards your chest.
• Hold for three to five breaths, then return to the starting position with control.

3. Hamstring stretch

How to do it:

• Sit on the floor with your right leg extended and your left knee bent with the sole of your left foot resting on your inner thigh. Take a towel or yoga strap and wrap it around the arch of your right foot.
• Inhale to prepare, then exhale as you lean forward, keeping your back as straight as you can.
• Breathe deeply again and with each exhale, try to lean a little further forward into the stretch.
• Continue for 3-5 deep breaths, then repeat on the other side.