The double knee to chest stretch is a lower back stretch done lying down. You hug both knees in toward your chest, which gently rounds the lower back. It usually comes after the one leg version, once that feels comfortable.

How to do the double knee to chest stretch

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Use a pillow under your head if you like.
Slowly bring both knees up together toward your chest. Keep it smooth, with no jerk or swing.
Wrap your arms around your knees or the top of your shins.
Draw both knees gently toward your chest until you feel a stretch in your lower back and hips. Your tailbone will lift a little off the surface. That is expected.
Hold for 15 to 30 seconds and breathe slowly and evenly. Let the muscles relax a little more each time you breathe out.
Let the knees ease a little away from your chest without letting go, then draw them in again. Repeat.
To finish, let go and slowly lower both feet back to the bed or floor.

What you should feel

A gentle stretch across the lower back, sometimes reaching into the buttocks. It should feel like relief, not force.

Common mistakes

Swinging or jerking the legs up. Bring them up slowly and under control.
Pulling so hard that your head and shoulders come off the pillow.
Gripping over sore knees. Hold behind the thighs instead.

How often

Often 3 to 5 holds of about 15 to 30 seconds, once or twice a day. Some programs swap the long holds for slow, gentle pulls in and out. Your physio will adjust the numbers for you.

Stop and check with your physio if

Pain spreads down one leg or you get numbness or tingling in it.
Numbness around your genitals or bottom, new trouble with your bladder or bowels, pain, tingling, numbness or weakness in both legs, or loss of feeling in one leg. Call emergency services or go to an emergency department straight away.
Your back pain gets sharper or builds during the stretch instead of easing.
You feel pinching in the hips or groin as the knees come in.

From the clinic

With both knees in, both sides of the pelvis tip back together. So you will usually feel more stretch in the lower back than with the single knee to chest stretch. Some people like to add a small, slow rock from side to side while hugging the knees.

Take your time getting in and out of it. Lift the legs slowly, and lower them just as slowly. If lifting both legs together bothers you, tell your physio, who may have you bring them up one at a time.

Is your back pain worse when you sit or bend forward? Or have you been told you have low bone density (osteoporosis)? Either way, talk to your physio before doing forward bending stretches like this one.

If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try this stretch. Hugging both knees in bends the hips well past a right angle, and many surgeons ask you to avoid that for the first months after some operations. Pregnancy is another reason to ask first, because the knees can press on the bump and lying flat on your back is usually limited after the first trimester.

Reviewed by the PocketPhysio by VirtueLife expert physiotherapy team. Last reviewed 2026-09-25.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Double knee to chest stretch