Backstretches help increase the stability of your back as well as eliminate or prevent back pain. Improve the flexibility and elasticity of your back by doing these excellent backstretches.
Our back is one of the most stressed body part, considering it does support your body and keep it upright with the help of your backbone and muscles. Any wrong movement, strain, sitting in an uncomfortable chair for long periods of time or lifting heavy weights can give you back aches easily.
Learn the best back stretches for the muscles in your back. If you do these stretches, it will help prevent back pain, or even help to reduce any existing backache. Don’t bounce during these stretches, just hold the position. You’re stretching to relax your muscles, not to contract them by bouncing.
Different Types of Stretching exercises for your back
- Cat Stretch
- Fetal Postion / Knees to Chest
- Standing Trunk Twist
- Seated Trunk Twist
- Upper Back
- Lower Trunk Rotation
- Lower Back Stretches
Cat Stretch
Get down on your hands and knees (hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips). Start with your back parallel to the floor and spread your fingers out on the floor with palms flat. Inhale and tip your hips towards the ceiling (like you’re sticking your butt out), at the same time pull your shoulders back and look up. Now, tuck your chin, exhale and pull in your abs and round your back. You should feel the stretch down your spine. Let your head drop down between your arms. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat about 5 times.
Fetal Position/Knees to Chest
Lie down on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Pull both knees up towards your chest. Wrap your arms behind your knees, or place your hands behind your knees and apply slight pressure to increase the stretch. Hold for 5 seconds.
Standing Trunk Twist
Stand or sit with both feet on the floor. Keep your pelvis facing forward. Place your hands on your hips or place a broomstick across your shoulders and hold on to the stick. Slowly rotate your torso to one side, hold for about 10 seconds and then rotate back to the front. Repeat on the other side.
Seated Trunk Twist
Sit with your back straight and both feet on the floor. Rotate your torso to the right. Using your left hand grab the outside of your right thigh and pull on your leg while rotating to increase the stretch. Hold, then repeat on the other side.
Upper Back Stretch
Get down on your hands and knees. Take your left arm and go through your right arm and leg. Rest your left shoulder and left side of your face on the floor. Take your right hand and place it on your hips and lean your right shoulder back slightly. Repeat on the other side.
Lower Trunk Rotation
Lie down on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Extend both arms out on each side of your body. Bring your knees and feet together. Keeping knees bent, twist your waist and lower your knees to the right. (Try to rest your knees on the floor, if you can’t then just go as far as you can without any pain.) Turn your head to the left as your knees point to the right. Try not to let the trunk of your body lift off the floor. Hold for 10 seconds. Slowly lift your knees back to the starting position. Repeat on the left side.
Strengthen Your Back
A lot of us have experienced some sort of back pain at one time or another. Depending on the severity of your back pain, this can affect your quality of life. Exercising regularly will help you to maintain a healthy back and spine. Weak back muscles leads to poor posture, which can lead to injury.
You use your back muscles for just about everything you do, things such as walking or even just lifting a bag involves your back muscles. To reduce the risk of injuring your back, do back stretches before and after you exercise.
Strength training alone will help create a stronger back, but including back stretches will help create a powerful back!
