Leg Workout with Lower Back Pain: 5 Safe Exercises
Oct 16, 2025 • 12 min read
Published on October 16, 2025 | Updated on October 16, 2025
October 16, 2025
NASM Personal Trainer, NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist, ACE Sports Conditioning Specialist, NASM Performance Enhancement Specialist
Back pain has a way of making even the idea of a workout feel risky, if not downright impossible.
What many people don't realize is that the right leg exercises actually support your healing instead of hindering it.
With the right movements, you can strengthen the muscles that stabilize your spine and relieve the very pain you’re trying to avoid.
This article breaks down everything you need to know about working out your legs safely when dealing with lower back pain.
The short answer is no. Staying active is one of the most effective ways to support your back over the long term, and the right leg exercises can actually help reduce your discomfort and prevent future flare-ups.
The key is choosing a back and glute workout that strengthens your lower body without straining your spine.
Here’s why keeping leg day in your routine matters, and how to do it safely.
When the muscles in your glutes, quads, and hamstrings are strong, they help carry the load during everyday movements like walking, bending, and lifting, so your lower back doesn’t have to work overtime.
Weak or inactive leg muscles, on the other hand, force your back to do more than its share of the effort, often leading to fatigue or flare-ups.
Focusing on controlled, pain-free lower body movements strengthens these supporting muscles and redistributes the work more evenly across your body.
Your glutes are key stabilizers for your pelvis and lower back. You can think of your glutes as your back’s built-in shock absorbers.
When they’re weak or underused (which happens easily with too much sitting), your pelvis can tilt forward, creating tension in your lumbar spine.
Over time, this imbalance contributes to chronic back discomfort.
Targeted glute activation and strengthening exercises like bridges, clamshells, and step-ups can help realign your posture, reduce compensation patterns, and support better spinal stability.
Gentle, consistent movement increases blood flow to your muscles and joints, which helps deliver oxygen and nutrients your tissues need to repair.
It also keeps your body from becoming stiff or locked up, both of which can intensify back pain.
Even when your back is sore, low-impact leg exercises and mobility work can help maintain flexibility, reduce inflammation, and prevent muscle atrophy.
Rest is important, but too much inactivity slows recovery.
Every time you move with good form, you’re teaching your muscles to coordinate and support your spine more effectively.
Over time, this improves core stability, balance, and neuromuscular control, all of which protect your back from future injuries.
By staying consistent with proper leg and glute training, you build a stronger, more resilient foundation that helps your back handle life’s daily demands, whether that’s carrying groceries, climbing stairs, or getting up from the floor.
While movement is crucial, it has to be the right kind. Pushing through pain or doing high-impact exercises can make things worse.
But the right combination of controlled leg exercises, gentle stretches, and rest days can reduce tension, correct imbalances, and keep your back feeling supported.
Progress comes from smart training with lower back safe workouts, not just more effort.
Listen to your body, work within a comfortable range of motion, and build strength gradually to prevent flare-ups down the road.
Back pain doesn’t have to mean giving up on lower-body strength.
The key is choosing exercises that work your legs without overloading your spine, allowing you to stay active while supporting recovery.
These movements strengthen the glutes, hamstrings, and quads, the muscles that stabilize your pelvis and take strain off your lower back.
Each of these exercises is designed to keep your core engaged, posture aligned, and spine protected, so you can maintain strength, mobility, and confidence even during flare-ups.
Perform them slowly, with control, and focus on quality over quantity.
Target muscles: Quadriceps (front of thigh)
This exercise isolates the quads without loading your spine, making it a back-friendly way to keep your legs strong.
Adjust the machine so your knees are aligned with the pivot point of the lever.
Sit tall with your back pressed against the pad and hands gripping the handles for stability.
In one controlled but powerful motion, extend your legs and lift the weight.
Lower the weight with control, keeping tension in your legs throughout the movement.
If the machine’s standard weight feels like too much pressure starting out, you can build up strength with bodyweight straight-leg raises on the floor. Also, don’t hesitate to adjust the backrest to a slightly more reclined angle if that helps your lower back feel more supported.
Target muscles: Hamstrings (back of the thighs)
This exercise focuses on the hamstrings without placing your spine under load.
Lie face down on the leg curl machine with your knees aligned to the pivot point.
Place your ankles under the padded lever and grip the handles for support.
Brace your core and keep your hips pressed into the bench.
Curl the weight up in one strong, smooth motion until your calves nearly touch your hamstrings.
Pause briefly, then lower the weight slowly and with control until your legs return to the starting position.
If you feel your hips lifting off the bench or your lower back engaging, the weight might be too heavy. Drop it down until you can move through the full range without compensation.
Target muscles: Quads, glutes, inner thighs, core
Unlike barbell squats, goblet squats load the front of your body, which encourages better posture and reduces spinal compression.
Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing out gently.
Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell vertically at chest height with both hands, keeping your elbows tucked in.
Brace your core and begin the descent by pushing your hips back and bending your knees.
Go as low as your mobility allows while keeping your spine neutral and chest upright.
Press through your heels to return to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top.
If mobility is a limiting factor, place your heels on small weight plates to help keep your torso more upright. Start with bodyweight only if the dumbbell adds too much stress.
Target muscles: Glutes, hamstrings, quads, and core stabilizers
Many people find reverse lunges more tolerable for their knees and back, especially when using manageable weights and good movement control.
Stand upright with a dumbbell in each hand, arms relaxed at your sides and feet hip-width apart.
Step one foot back and lower into a lunge, bending both knees to roughly 90 degrees. Your back knee should hover just above the floor.
Keep your chest upright and your front knee stacked over your ankle.
Push through the heel of your front foot to return to the starting position, then switch sides.
If holding weights feels too intense, start with bodyweight lunges until you build confidence and control. You can also reduce the range of motion by going only partway down if you notice any discomfort in your lower back or knees.
Target muscles: Hamstrings, glutes, spinal stabilizers
This variation reduces lower back strain by shifting the load to one leg and encouraging a shorter range of motion with greater balance and control.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with arms at your sides, palms facing your body.
Step one foot back about 2–3 feet, creating a split stance with your front leg bearing most of the weight and the back foot touching the ground with just the toes.
With your front leg slightly bent, hinge at the hips and lower the dumbbells down your front leg in a slow, controlled motion.
Keep your back flat and core tight, the movement should come from your hips, not your lower back.
Once you feel a strong stretch in your front hamstring, pause briefly, then return to the starting position by squeezing your glute and driving through your front heel.
Repeat all reps on one side before switching legs.
Start with lighter weights or even bodyweight to master the hip hinge pattern. If balance is challenging, perform the exercise next to a wall for light support. You can also use a single dumbbell held with both hands if coordinating two dumbbells feels awkward.
Not every leg movement is back-friendly. Some exercises place unnecessary stress on your spine and can make existing discomfort worse.
If your lower back is sensitive, it’s better to steer clear of the following:
Exercises that involve twisting, turning, or rotating your torso under load can easily aggravate your lower back.
Movements like standing oblique twists with weights or rotational lunges force the spine to stabilize against torque, which can strain the muscles and joints around the lumbar area.
What to Do Instead:
Stick with linear, controlled leg exercises that keep your spine neutral such as reverse lunges, glute bridges, or split-stance Romanian deadlifts.
These moves strengthen your hips, hamstrings, and quads without requiring your lower back to twist or absorb unnecessary stress.
Traditional sit-ups, double leg raises, or flutter kicks might seem like good ab exercises, but they often do more harm than good for sensitive backs.
These movements can increase disc pressure and cause the hip flexors to tug on the lower spine, leading to tightness or irritation.
What to Do Instead:
Swap these out for core-stabilizing exercises that build strength safely like bird dogs, dead bugs, or modified planks.
These teach your core to brace and support your spine rather than pull on it, improving back stability over time.
Crunches are another classic move that’s best avoided when you’re dealing with back pain.
Repeatedly curling the spine forward puts stress on the lumbar discs and can worsen inflammation or existing irritation.
What to Do Instead:
Focus on deep core engagement and breathing-based bracing instead.
Exercises like pelvic tilts, diaphragmatic breathing, or gentle plank variations strengthen the muscles that naturally support your spine without forcing it into repetitive flexion.
If you’re in the middle of a flare-up or even light movement feels too painful, that’s okay.
When movement isn’t possible (yet), there are other strategies that can help you improve lower back pain.
Rest doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means focusing on gentle, restorative movement and recovery strategies.
Gentle yoga routines for back pain can be especially helpful.
Slow, supported movements combined with mindful breathing calm the nervous system, improve circulation, and release tension around the spine.
As pain eases, you can gradually return to low-impact strength training.
Below are two versions of a lower-body workout using the five safe, spine-friendly exercises we’ve covered.
One is designed as a standalone strength session, while the other works as a quick, supportive add-on when you’re already doing other movement like walking, cycling, or yoga.
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
Leg Extensions | 3 | 12–15 | 45–60 sec |
Goblet Squat | 3 | 8–10 | 60–75 sec |
Lying Leg Curls | 3 | 10–12 | 60–90 sec |
Reverse Lunges | 2–3 | 8 per leg | 60–75 sec |
Split-Stance RDL | 2 | 8–10 per leg | 60 sec |
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
Leg Extensions | 2 | 12–15 | 30–45 sec |
Goblet Squat | 2 | 8–10 | 45–60 sec |
Split-Stance RDL | 2 | 6–8 per leg | 60 sec |
Remember that proper alignment is crucial during these exercises. Combining them with posture-improving yoga can both amplify your long-term results and also benefit your daily posture habits.
Lower back pain has a way of making you second-guess every movement. But sitting still and hoping the pain disappears usually does more harm than good.
You don’t need to avoid strength training with back pain altogether. You in fact shouldn’t. The right leg exercises can actively help stabilize, support, and relieve lower back pain.
No equipment? A handful of back-friendly, bodyweight-only exercises can strengthen key stabilizers without requiring any gym setup.
The important part is to listen to your body, move with intention, and choose quality over intensity.
Whether you’re working through a minor flare-up or simply trying to prevent future issues, these workouts show that leg day doesn’t need to be something you dread.
Instead, it can be a tool to help you stand taller, move freer, and trust your body again.
Working out with back pain can feel confusing. One person says “keep moving,” another says “take a break.”
The truth lies somewhere in between.
These quick answers explain how to train safely, when to modify, and what signs mean it’s time to ease up.
Yes, you can, as long as you choose the right exercises and respect your limits.
Leg day doesn’t have to be off-limits when your back is sore, but it does need to look different.
Avoid movements that load the spine vertically, like heavy back squats or deadlifts, and instead focus on spine-neutral exercises that keep pressure off your lower back.
Great options include leg extensions, lying leg curls, glute bridges, and goblet squats performed with light to moderate weight.
Always warm up with mobility work and pay attention to form. Controlled, slow repetitions are far more effective (and safer) than pushing through pain.
When you’re managing lower back pain, your goal should be control, not intensity. Stick to exercises that maintain good posture and minimize spinal compression.
Machines like leg presses, leg curls, and extensions can be excellent because they provide support and stability, allowing you to strengthen your legs without engaging the back excessively.
Incorporate split-stance movements (like static lunges or Bulgarian split squats) to target your legs while training balance and hip stability.
Keep the focus on slow tempo, proper breathing, and resting between sets to give your muscles and joints time to reset.
Over time, this controlled approach strengthens your foundation and supports long-term back health.
It depends on your pain level and the type of squat you’re doing.
Traditional barbell back squats can place heavy compressive forces on the spine, which isn’t ideal if your lower back is irritated.
However, goblet squats, box squats, or wall squats with light weight can be much safer alternatives.
When performing any squat, keep your core braced, spine neutral, and movement slow and controlled.
Don’t force depth. Go only as low as you can while maintaining good form and no pain.
If you feel any sharp discomfort, stop immediately. As you get stronger, you can gradually reintroduce more challenging variations under professional guidance.
If you have a herniated disc, safety and spinal support come first.
Stick to non-compressive, spine-supported movements such as seated leg extensions, lying leg curls, or bodyweight reverse lunges.
These exercises work the lower body effectively without requiring your spine to bear heavy loads.
Avoid any movement that involves spinal flexion, twisting, or jerking motions, as these can aggravate symptoms.
Always consult with your doctor or physical therapist before adding more dynamic exercises like Romanian deadlifts, weighted squats, or kettlebell work.
Building strength gradually with perfect form will help protect your spine as it heals.
Some exercises simply put too much strain on the lower back and should be avoided until you’ve fully recovered. These include:
Twisting movements, such as rotational lunges or weighted oblique twists
Ab-heavy exercises, like sit-ups, crunches, and straight-leg raises
Heavy barbell lifts, including traditional deadlifts and back squats
High-impact plyometrics, such as box jumps or jump squats
These movements can compress or twist the lumbar spine, worsening inflammation or irritation.
Instead, prioritize linear, stable exercises that strengthen your legs while keeping your back supported like glute bridges, step-ups, or leg presses with controlled motion.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
