Back Stretching Exercises Can Add Quality Pain-free Years To Your Life
For the perfect instruction on back stretching exercises just watch your favorite feline go through their stretching routine. Wouldn’t be nice to have that kind of flexibility? For most of us stretching our back doesn’t enter our thinking much, at least not until we experience the odd back twinge or worse, major back pain by which time the prospect of facing long term medication or back surgery may send us looking quickly for other answers.
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Perform Back Stretching Exercises to Improve Your Quality of Life
Back stretching exercises are a good place to start. They can help us prevent back pain or recover from pain after an injury. This is because many problems that develop in the joints and muscles surrounding our spinal column stem from muscles that are too tight and inflexible. Or our bodies, due to a lack of regular stretching, have an imbalance in the relative flexibility of different back muscles.
The spine is a complex structure made up of multiple components (joints, ligaments, intervertebral discs) that protect the spinal cord and its correct functioning is essential for health and wellbeing.
Do You Know Why It Is So Vital To Have A Strong Supple Back?
The spinal cord is the major channel for your brain’s signals that ensure the many functions your body needs to perform occur efficiently – it is definitely worth taking the time to look after!
Keeping the back muscles long and flexible by adding back stretching exercises to your fitness routine can definitely help us approach the feline grace of our favorite moggy and keep us able to perform at our best and enjoy the most mobile existence we can in our later years.
Back Pain is Very Common
We may be able to get away without stretching our backs much up until our thirties, but without regular stretching from then on, expect to end up with some form of back problem. And guess what – most people have had some form of chronic back pain!
When you consider the number of folk who suffer back problems – for example, sixty percent of expectant mothers for weeks after delivery and eighty percent of women for up to six months after delivery if they have previously experienced back pain in previous pregnancies.
Finding nondrug based solutions or ways to eliminate or minimize the back pain that doesn’t require surgery just makes sense.
A Gradual Approach to Back Stretching is Highly Recommended
There are many causes and types of back pain but even severe back pain can respond well to back stretching exercises. Bed rest for 2-3 days after an acute injury and or short term anti-inflammatory medication followed by a return to daily activities may be necessary first. Once pain has subsided though and you are cleared by your health care professional, beginning back stretching exercises may well speed up recovery. Starting off gradually is the key.
Avoid exercises that compress your spine and over exaggerate the arch in the lower back. Lying face down and lifting feet and upper back at the same time, for example, could aggravate back pain.
Six Back Stretching Exercises that You Can Flow Together
Below are six back stretching exercises that can be performed as a routine, flowing from one movement to the next and can be used to prevent or reduce back pain.
1. Basic Seated Twist
Sit on the floor with your feet together as shown.
Cross your right leg over your left leg and place your right hand on the floor for support. Place your left hand just below the left knee, reaching down past the side of your right leg.
Turn your head and torso to your right, allowing your right hand to move back. Hold for 15 seconds, remembering to twist as far as you can without too much discomfort. Return to face the front and repeat 3 times. Swap legs and repeat for the left side.
2. Seated Spinal twist with hip pivot
Sit on the floor, back straight, with your feet flat on the floor, knees bent, with your knees a hip width apart
Drop your knees to the right side
Pivot your hips and shoulders to the right until your left buttock lifts off floor
At the same time turn your head to the right and look over your right shoulder
Support your body with your right hand on the floor behind you, with your left hand resting on back of your left thigh
Hold for 30 seconds
Repeat another side
3. Cat Stretch
Turnover on your hands and knees, with your arms straight under your shoulders and your knees under your hips
Round your back and drop your chin to your chest
Hold for 30 seconds
4. Downward Dog
From all fours, brace your toes on the floor and push up with your arms as you straighten your knees lifting your hips slowly up and back, so your body forms an inverted V.
Keep your fingers forward, head down, neck in line with the rest of your spine
From this position drop your knees gently to the floor, keeping your arms straight and bracing your abdominals.
Now bend your elbows dropping your chest gently towards the floor in a forward scooping motion, until you are lying face down on the floor.
Next, push up with your elbows straightening your arms, arching your head back and keeping your knees and feet on the floor. (A Cobra position)
From that position, push back with your arms, keeping them straight, as you move your buttocks over your heels, and your head lowers to the floor resting your forehead on the floor, with your arms extended out in front of you (Child’s Pose)
Perform these movements at a gentle graceful pace, holding the last pose for 30 seconds.
5. Cobra
Gently raise up on all fours again
Leading with your head as if trying to get your body underneath a low fence rail bring your chest close to the floor, bending your elbows, arching your back while supporting your weight on your hands
Your legs will now be stretched out behind you, toes pointed on the floor, as you now straighten your arms, continuing to lift your head up and back, only going as far as you comfortably can for your back
Hold for 30 seconds
6. Child’s Pose
From the Cobra position, push back on your haunches toe underneath you, with your buttocks resting on your heels (or close to your heels) as you lower your head and chest slowly to the floor, keeping your arms extended out in front with your hands remaining on the floor.
Relax for 30seconds
Repeat this routine 2-3 times, 2-3 times per week
This routine is not hard, does not take long, but can revolutionize your back health. Enjoy!