Raise your hand if you’ve ever had back pain… Yep, that’s what we thought. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 80 percent of American adults will experience lower back pain at some point in their lives (oh joy), with many chronic sufferers claiming it has negatively affected their work lives, social lives and general mobility. If you ask us, life’s too short to move through it in pain. So, we checked in with a fitness specialist for the most effective lower back stretches in her arsenal, plus top tips for how to best care for our sensitive spines.

Meet the Expert

Natalia Perez-Segnini is a NASM-certified personal trainer, yoga instructor, trauma-informed specialist and head coach at Tone House, a premier, athletic-based strength and conditioning facility in New York City. Perez-Segnini has dedicated her professional life to helping others better understand themselves through the modalities of movement and breath. She specializes in the mind-body connection and emphasizes the importance of intentional movement with a focus on longevity, enhanced quality of life and nervous system health. Perez-Segnini has her own experience with stubborn back pain and spinal health. These ten lower back stretches are pulled directly from her daily routine as a fitness professional.

In addition to stretching, Perez-Segnini also urges her clients to focus on strengthening when managing back pain. “It’s equally—if not more—important to strengthen the low-, mid- and upper-back, as well as the muscle groups surrounding the core, glutes and hips,” she says. And scientific studies conducted by the Oxford Academic would agree. Strength training that targets these areas will “help support a strong foundation that is responsible for protecting the spine.” She goes on to explain, “If you only stretch your back but neglect to strengthen the surrounding muscle groups, the pain you’re experiencing will come back time and time again.” (Of course, if pain persists beyond a few weeks and keeps you from participating in your daily activities, it might be time to talk to an orthopedist or a physical medicine doctor.)

Whether you’re looking to establish a routine, ward off body aches or soothe a flare-up, we’ve got ten lower back stretches your body is no doubt begging for.

10 Stretches That Are Just As Energizing As a Walk Around the Block