Lie back and let your lower back finally let go.
Keep your head and neck heavy on the ground, don't crane up to your knees.
Hugging your knees to your chest gently rounds the lumbar spine and lets the lower back muscles release the tension they hold from lifting, sitting and standing all day. The floor supports your whole spine, so unlike standing stretches nothing has to work while everything lets go, and the optional side-to-side rock adds a light massage across the lower back. It belongs at the end of leg and deadlift sessions and any time your lower back feels packed tight.
After training, before bed, or whenever your lower back feels tight and compressed. It is a release, not a warm-up, so it earns the most value once the work is done.
30 to 60 seconds of slow breathing is plenty, repeated two or three times if it feels good. The deep breaths matter as much as the position, each exhale lets the back sink a little further.
Light pops as the joints decompress are common and usually harmless, often followed by relief. Sharp pain is a different story, if it hurts rather than releases, ease off.
