Yoga for runners: poses to give your lower back some love

If you run a lot and sit even more, odds are your lower back has filed a complaint or two. The trick to feeling better is finding stretches that don’t just feel nice for a minute, but actually loosen the spots runners tend to overload—hips, glutes and the small muscles around the spine. These four poses target those areas without forcing you into a pretzel.

Deer pose

Deer pose (a gentler cousin of pigeon pose) opens the outer hip and low back without the knee strain that pigeon pose can bring. This feels great after hill work or long runs when everything feels compressed.

Sit with your right leg bent in front of you, shin at a loose diagonal.

Fold your left leg behind you, also bent, so your knees point in opposite directions.

Lean your torso forward over the front shin until you feel a slow, spreading stretch.

Stay for 6–8 deep breaths, then switch sides.

Modification: Sit on a folded towel to lift your hips and reduce pressure on the knees.

Half frog on forearms

This stretch targets the hip flexor and the quadratus lumborum–both troublemakers in low-back tightness for runners.

Lie on your stomach and prop up on your forearms.

Slide your right knee out to the side so it bends at roughly 90 degrees.

Keep your belly heavy and breathe into the front of the hip.

Hold 30–45 seconds and switch.

Modification: Skip the forearms and stay lower, with your forehead on stacked hands.

Standing figure-four fold

You get a hip opener and hamstring release at once with this pose, which often eases back tension more quickly than static stretching alone.

Stand tall and cross your right ankle over your left thigh.

Sink your hips back, almost like starting a squat.

Keep the chest relaxed and fold forward as far as you comfortably can.

Hold for 6–8 breaths; switch sides.

Modification: Lightly hold a wall or countertop for balance.

Supine tail-wag twist

This is a small, controlled twist that hits the lower spinal muscles runners often over-brace. It’s mild enough for tight days and can feel especially effective after long runs.

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor.

Keeping knees together, slowly drop them a few inches to the right in a gentle tilt.

Bring them back to centre, then tilt left.

Repeat 8–12 slow reps per side.

Modification: Place a pillow between your knees if your hips feel pinched.

If any of these shapes feel sharp or numb, back out and lighten things up—nothing here should feel like you’re pushing through it. These are best slotted in after an easy run, on a recovery day or whenever your back starts begging for attention.