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The following exercises are examples of the strengthening routines commonly prescribed by physicians and physical therapists to help active people recover from lower back strains.

Depending on the specifics of your injury, some or all of these exercises may not apply. Always check with your physician or physical therapist before beginning a stretching or strengthening program.

STRETCHING

• Bending Side-to-Side

  Stand with your arms by your sides. Bend from the waist toward one side and then the other. Repeat up to 50 times. Try to lower your hands at least to the level of your knees.

• Leg Raise

  Lie on your back with one leg straight in front of you and the other bent. Hold onto the ankle of your bent leg and slowly straighten your leg. Keep your lower back on the floor. Hold for ten seconds. Relax. Repeat five to ten times.

• The Cat

  On the floor, get onto your hands and knees. Start with your back flat, and keep your arms straight. Let your lower back sink down as far as possible, without raising your head, to a concave position. Slowly arch your back until you're curled in a convex position. Repeat 15 to 20 times.

• Lower Back Stretch

  Lie on the floor and relax your back muscles. Slowly bring your knees up to your chest. Curl your arm around your knees. Hold for 15 to 20 seconds. Repeat ten times. You can also do this exercise raising one leg at a time.

STRENGTHENING

• Pelvic Tilt Exercises

  While lying down with knees flexed and feet on the floor, push the small of the back into the floor by tightening the abdominal muscles. The force should be mild to moderate and pain-free. Raising the arms and/or legs while maintaining the pressure are ways to modify the exercise. Hold each position for a count of ten.

• Partial Sit-Ups

  While laying down with knees bent and feet firmly on the floor, cross the arms over the chest and raise the shoulders and upper back off the floor. The lower back should be pain-free during the exercise. The shoulders remain elevated for two to ten seconds. The exercise should be performed in sets of thirty, and weight may be added to the chest to increase abdominal toning and strengthening.

• Bridging Exercises

  Begin by raising the hips about one inch from the floor from a reclining position. Knees should be flexed and feet should be firmly on the ground. An individual can increase the hip elevation, with maximum height reached when the spine becomes straight. Hold the raised position for a count of ten, and complete two to three sets of 20.

• Prone Exercises

  Prone exercises are arm, leg, and shoulder lifting activities. Do not begin these exercises until the back is completely pain-free. Place a pillow under the abdomen to prevent excessive spine extension. Begin with single arm lifts and progress to double arm, arm and leg, double arm, and shoulder lifts. Hold each position for a count of ten. Perform with two to three sets of 20.

• Quadruped Exercises

  With the hands and knees on the floor, tighten the trunk muscles and hold the spine in a neutral, pain-free position for a count of ten. Modify the exercise by lifting an arm or leg or by adding a light weight to an extremity. Perform two to three sets of 20.

• Swiss ball exercises

  Begin by sitting with a Swiss ball in the small of the back and the feet on the floor. While bending the knees, slide against the ball and return to the starting position. Lifting arms can vary the exercise.

• Aerobic conditioning

  Aerobic conditioning is extremely important for back conditioning as well as general physical well-being. Maintenance of a normal body weight also helps keep the back healthy.