If you have been struggling with back pain, yoga may be the solution you need. It promotes both mind and body wellness. Certain yoga poses may stretch your back muscles. They can strengthen and relax your entire body.
Dedicating a few minutes of your day to practice yoga will help you understand your body better. It will help you determine the points where you have imbalances and the parts of your back that hold tension. Here are a few poses that will stretch your muscles and promote back health.
1. Cat-Cow
This is one of the simplest yoga poses. It is a gentle stretch meant to target your neck, torso, and shoulders. The pose stretches the spine as well. It works the following muscles:
- Gluteus Maximus
- Triceps
- Erector spinae
- Serratus anterior
- Rectus abdominis
Follow these steps to practice the pose;
- Being on all fours, get your wrists under your shoulders and have your knees under your hips
- While in that position, try to balance your weight across all the points and inhale
- Looking up, allow your stomach to drop towards the mat
- With your chin tucked in your chest, exhale and arch your spine upwards
- Focus on releasing tension and maintaining awareness of your body
- Continue the movement for a minute
This pose is ideal for back pain. It improves balance and posture and may help you release stress.
2. Cobra Pose
The cobra pose is a gentle backbend that may stretch your shoulders, abdomen, and chest. It boosts your mobility, strengthens your spine, and relieves stress. The pose opens up your chest and targets the following muscles;
- Triceps
- Hamstrings
- Serratus anterior
- Deltoids
Follow these steps to perform the cobra pose:
- Lying on your stomach, place your palms flat right under your shoulders
- Draw your arms into your chest without allowing your elbows to stretch out to the sides
- Take a moment to look straight down maintaining your neck in its neutral position.
- Use the floor to anchor your pubic bone
- Inhale deeply and start lifting your chest from the floor
- Keeping your low ribs firmly on the floor, push your shoulders back with your elbows still hugging your sides
3. Downward-Facing Dog
The downward-facing dog pose targets the following muscles;
- Quadriceps
- Deltoids
- Hamstrings
- Triceps
It is a rejuvenating forward bend that can relieve back pain, improve strength, and correct imbalances. The pose stretches your legs, back, and arms. The experts at EvolveFitWear.com advise that you wear stretchy and comfortable pants for this pose. It can strengthen your deep abdominal muscles to stabilize your spine. It is one of the first poses that you will learn when you start practicing yoga. Follow these steps to do the pose:
- Get on your hands and knees
- Have your hands aligned under your wrists and knees under your hips
- Curl your toes and use your hands to push back. Straighten your legs and lift your hips
- Lift your sitting bones and keep your knees slightly bent. Elongate your tailbone and spine
- Lift your heels slightly and press them into your hands
- Try distributing your weight on both sides of your body putting the focus on the position of your shoulders and hips
- Tuck your chin in slightly and keep your head aligned with your upper arms
- Hold the pose for a minute
4. Extended Triangle
This is a classic yoga pose mostly used to alleviate neck and back pain. It can strengthen your legs, chest, and shoulders. The pose stretches your hips and spine as well. It can relieve anxiety and stress. The extended triangle muscle works the following muscles:
- Hamstrings
- Internal oblique
- ·Quadriceps
- Latissimus dorsi
Follow these steps to do the pose:
- From a standing position, walk with your feet about four feet apart
- Point your right toes forward and the left ones at an angle
- Lift your arms and keep them parallel to your floor. At this point, your palms should face down
- Tilt slightly towards the front and use your right hip for support when moving with your torso and arms
- Use your leg and hands to achieve a yoga block
- Stretch your left hand upwards and look down, up, or forward
- Hold the pose for a minute and repeat the other side
5. The Locust Pose
This backend is perfect for relieving fatigue and lower back pain. It targets your legs, arms, and torso. The locust pose works on the following muscles:
- Erector spinae
- Triceps
- Trapezius
- Gluteus maximus
Do this to perform the pose:
- Lie flat on your stomach and place your arms against your torso and with the palms facing up
- Get your big toes to touch and turn your heels to your side
- Let your forehead touch the floor lightly
- Lift your head and chest slowly. Your arms may be halfway or completely up
- Put your hand together behind your back and interlock your fingers
- Lift your legs if you wish to deepen this pose
- Keep looking straight ahead and lengthen your back
- Stay in the pose for about a minute and rest
6. Half Lord of the Fishes
This twisting pose will stretch your back, hips, and neck muscles and energize your spine. It can alleviate fatigue and target the following muscles;
- Psoas
- Rhomboids
- Erector anterior
- Serratus anterior
Here are the steps to do this pose:
- While seated, pull your right foot towards your body
- Get your left foot outside your leg and elongate your spine
- Twist your body towards the left and place the left hand on the floor for support
- Push your right outside your left thigh
- You can deepen your twist by keeping your hips square
- Turn your gaze and look over your shoulder
- Hold the pose for a minute before repeating on the other side
Yoga has been proven to have both physical and mental benefits. If practiced over one year, it can strengthen most of your muscles including the neck and back muscles. Breathing Deeply’s article suggests that if you practice yoga regularly, it can reduce the intensity of your back pain and improve its functionality. While there are many poses, some of them are better for your back than others.
