At about 7:30 a.m., the waiting room at the physiotherapy clinic looks like a small reunion of people with gray hair and slow movements. A man in a navy sweater sits down in the chair with both hands on the armrests. A woman in a beige coat looks like she’s about to sit down, but she doesn’t want to because she thinks the seat might bite her back. No one talks much, but the way they move says a lot. You can almost see the pain knot that is hidden at the base of each spine.
Then, a woman in her early 60s walks out of the treatment room, zips up her jacket in one smooth motion, and stands tall. She doesn’t really look “young.” She just seems… free.
“Keep doing that one thing every day,” the physiotherapist says when she opens the door. That’s what’s keeping your back safe.
One thing. Every day. Isn’t it strange?
The easy daily movement that your lower back needs so badly
The daily hip hinge is the movement that keeps coming up in back clinics, sports labs, and geriatric wards.
Not a deadlift in gym class. Not a move that a contortionist would do. Just the basic human movement of bending from your hips, not your waist, with your spine straight and your butt slightly back.
That’s how farmers used to pick up a crate. How to lean to brush your teeth, empty the dishwasher, or pick up a bag of groceries.
It’s nothing once it’s done. If you do it wrong, it’s the start of a long, painful story.
If you do it every day on purpose, it will slowly work the exact muscles that protect your lower back.
Marc thought his back pain was “just age” when he was 63.
He had stopped gardening, stopped carrying his grandson, and started walking with a strange little tilt to the side, as if his body was trying to get away from its own spine. One day, his doctor told him to see a physiotherapist, and the physiotherapist did something he didn’t expect. She didn’t start with machines or massage. She put a broomstick along his back and told him to bend forward with his knees soft and his hips back.
Marc couldn’t. His back rounded right away, and his head fell forward. He sighed, “I’ve been bending the wrong way for 30 years.”
After three months of doing 10 slow hip hinges every day, he came back with a smile. He had picked up a full watering can without feeling that sharp, electric pain. A little bit of practice every day had changed how his back worked in real life.
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It’s important to do this movement after 60 because your spine loves support.
Your glutes, hamstrings, and deep core muscles help your lower back vertebrae do their job. When those muscles stop working, your spine takes the full force every time you bend, twist, or pick something up.
The hip hinge changes that habit. It teaches your brain how to use your big, strong muscles again. This daily “rehearsal” becomes second nature over time. When you lean forward, your glutes fire before your discs do. When you pick up a laundry basket, your spine stays straight instead of bending like a tired accordion.
It doesn’t seem like a big deal. But this small change quietly changes your back from “fragile” to “supported.”
How to do the hip hinge when you’re over 60
Start by standing in front of a chair with your feet about hip-width apart.
Don’t do a deep squat; just unlock your knees. Put one hand on your lower back and the other on your lower belly. Breathe in. As you breathe out, gently tighten your stomach as if you were zipping up tight pants.
Now, like you’re trying to close a drawer with your butt, push your hips back. Your chest leans forward, but your spine stays long and doesn’t bend. Stop when you feel the back of your thighs wake up. Then push the floor away and come back up.
Take your time and do it 8 to 10 times. *If your lower back hurts, you’ve gone too far.
This is the daily movement: a short, exact drill that teaches your body how to bend in a new way.
Most people over 60 don’t have problems because they’re “too old.” They have trouble because no one ever showed them how to bend without hurting their back.
A common mistake is to lean forward with your head and shoulders, as if your body is trying to dive into the task. That makes your back curve and puts pressure right where it hurts.
Another way to get stuck is to lock your knees all the way straight. It looks good in a mirror, but your lower back moves like a hinge instead of your hips. Not a good deal.
Be nice to yourself here. That moment when you freeze halfway to the floor and think, “I’m stuck,” is something we’ve all been through.
You are not weak or broken. You’re just learning a new way to move, and at this age, every good habit pays off twice as much.
Many spine specialists say in slightly different words that “older adults don’t need circus exercises.” “They need to move every day in ways that are like real life: bending, lifting, and reaching without fear.”
First, practice without any weight.
Until the movement feels natural, use a wall or the back of a chair to help you stay balanced.
Make it a part of your daily routine.
- Five hip hinges before you brush your teeth and five before you make your morning coffee.
Keep your range short. - The goal is not depth, but quality. Stop long before you feel pain or pinching.
Slowly add more weight - A small backpack on your front or a 1–2 kg object held close to your chest is all you need.
Pay attention to “day-by-day” pain - You pushed too hard if your pain lasts longer than 48 hours. Turn it down and start over slowly.
Don’t let your back be a place of fear.
When this daily movement becomes a habit, there is a quiet change that happens.
You stop trying to get a deal with every object on the floor. The laundry basket is no longer a problem. Keys that fall are annoying, not scary.
Your brain stops thinking, “What if my back goes again?” and starts remembering small wins: the bag of potatoes you lifted without a twinge, the suitcase you slid out from under the bed, and the time you got up from the couch in one smooth motion.
Let’s be honest: no one does this every day. Life gets in the way: grandkids come to visit, buses are missed, and appointments are late. But even working out four or five times a week can hurt your muscles and make you less confident.
Your lower back isn’t an old, fragile thing. Even at 60, 70, or 80, it is a structure that responds to training, attention, and practice.
And that simple act of bending your hips every day is less about being disciplined and more about getting back your freedom.
Main pointDetailValue for the reader
Practice hip hinge every day8 to 10 slow reps most days of the week, with a long spine and bending from the hipsStrengthens the lower back and makes bending easier every day.
Use help and a small rangeChair, wall, or broomstick along the spine, with soft knees and no pain when movingLowers the risk of injury, lowers fear, and makes the exercise possible for people of all ages
Put into practice in real lifeWhen you lift bags, garden, or pick things up off the floor, use the same movement.Changes a simple drill into a way to protect your back while doing everyday things.
| Key point | Detail | Value for the reader |
|---|---|---|
| Daily hip hinge practice | 8–10 slow reps, most days of the week, focusing on bending from the hips with a long spine | Builds protective strength around the lower back and improves everyday bending |
| Use support and small range | Chair, wall, or broomstick along the spine, with soft knees and pain-free movement | Reduces fear, lowers injury risk, and makes the exercise accessible at any age |
| Integrate into real life | Apply the same movement when lifting bags, gardening, or picking objects off the floor | Turns a simple drill into lasting back protection during daily activities |
Questions and Answers:
Question 1: Is it safe to do the hip hinge if I already have arthritis in my lower back?
Answer 1
Question 2: How many times should I do this movement to really feel a difference?
Answer 2
Question 3What if I fall when I lean forward?
Answer 3 Question 4: Can this take the place of my regular back exercises from the physiotherapist?
Answer 4 Question 5: How long will it take for my back to feel stronger?
