The 5 Best Yoga Exercises To Ease Lower Back Pain
Is your lower back taking a toll while performing daily activities? Well, sitting at your desk all day long may make you feel like a zombie without doing any favor to your back. This might result in a lower backache which won’t even go away by popping a pill. Also, our lower back is built to stabilize and support all our movements. Hence, when it’s out of sync, it not only hurts badly but also causes mental stress. Now, are you wondering what to do? The answer is simple - do some yoga exercises for the lower back.
Yoga is a mind-body treatment that is often suggested to cure not just back pain but also treat the stress that accompanies it. Also, practicing it every day, even for a few minutes, helps in gaining awareness about the body and noticing areas where you are holding tension and having imbalances. So, whether you are dealing with back discomfort because of working out, sitting all day at a computer, or a demanding schedule, stretching out and performing a few yoga exercises for lower back pain will assist in releasing all the strain.
So, learn the poses to relax your body and strengthen your back for longer. Trust us; performing yoga exercises for the lower back will help you find the relief you desire.
Keep reading and say bye to backache.
How Does Yoga Help In Soothing Lower Back Pain?
Yoga is an ancient practice that is highly popular for curing different types of pain. It relaxes the tight muscles and builds strength which eventually helps in relieving the pain. Simply put, the motions employed in yoga, as well as the movement freeholds, helps in gaining strength and mobility. Both of them contribute to the reduction of pain, including lower back discomfort.
Yoga exercises for lower back pain enhance muscle strength and increase the wellness of the spine. It also reduces muscle tension and improves body alignment. Along with this, performing yoga helps get a deeper insight into the body, which improves pain awareness, and thus you can work on the right area to reduce it.
Yoga Exercises For Lower Back Pain You Must Know
1. Sphinx Pose
Focused Muscles:
- Erector spinae
- Gluteal muscles
- Pectoralis major
- Trapezius
- Latissimus dorsi
How To Do:
- Lie down on your stomach with extended legs behind you.
- Place your elbows under your shoulders and forearms on the floor with palms facing downward.
- Inhale and slowly lift your torso and head.
- Press your hips and thighs on the floor and lengthen your spine.
- Hold the backbend and feel the stretch in the lower back.
- Keep your gaze straight and hold the position from approx. ten seconds to 1 minute.
- Once done, slowly exhale, release the torso and return to the floor.
2. Cat/Cow Pose
Focused Muscles:
- Erector spinae
- Rectus abdominis
- Triceps
- Serratus Anterior
- Gluteus Maximus
How To Do:
- To perform this yoga exercise for lower back pain, start with a tabletop position on all fours with knees below the hips and wrists below the shoulders.
- Balance your weight evenly between all four points and inhale.
- Now, look up and drop your stomach towards the mat.
- Lift your tailbone, torso, and head altogether and come into a ‘Cow’ position.
- Then, exhale while arching your spine like a ‘cat.’ While performing it, tuck your chin into the chest and slowly pull your navel towards the spine.
- Hold one pose for a few seconds and focus on your breath.
- Continue the movement for at least one minute to a maximum of three minutes.
- Finally, come back to the first position and relax for a minute before you perform it again.
3. Extended Triangle Pose
Focused Muscles:
- Latissimus dorsi
- Internal oblique
- Gluteus maximus and medius
- Hamstrings
- Quadriceps
How To Do:
- This is one of the classic yoga poses for lower back pain that is to be performed by standing straight with feet wide apart.
- Then, turn your right toe with your foot and bend the knee. Make sure you form a 90o angle.
- Lift your arms parallel to the floor on either side with your palm facing downwards.
- Now, bend forward and stretch your arms and bring it to your leg, yoga block, or onto the floor. Make sure your hand is perpendicular to the ground.
- Lift your other arm and extend it towards the ceiling.
- Keep looking forward and focus on your breath.
- Hold the pose for a minute or till you count to 20.
- Repeat the same pose on both sides multiple times.
4. Downward-Facing Dog Pose
Focused Muscles:
- Hamstrings
- Deltoids
- Gluteus Maximus
- Triceps
- Quadriceps
How To Do:
- It is easy to perform this traditional and widely-known yoga pose. Start by setting up on all fours.
- Now, align your knees under the hips and your wrists under your shoulders.
- Tuck your toes, press your hands, and lift up your knees.
- Then, move your sitting bones towards the ceiling and slightly bend your knees.
- Also, lengthen your tailbone and spine. While doing so, press your hands firmly and keep your knees straight.
- Make sure you distribute the weight evenly between your arms and legs. Let your hand hang freely. This will help release the tension and bring back your attention to your feet.
- Breathe deeply and hold the pose for at least one minute.
5. Locust Pose
Focused Muscles:
- Trapezius
- Erector spinae
- Gluteus maximus
- Triceps
How To Do:
- Last, on the list of yoga exercises for lower back pain, we have the locust pose that looks similar to Superman Pose.
- To get started with the pose, lay on your stomach and keep your arms next to your torso. Make sure your palms face up and feet hip width apart and parallel to each other.
- Now, place your forehead lightly onto the ground and lift up your arms, head, upper torso, and legs. Inhale before you perform this step.
- If you want, you can bring your hands together and interlock your fingers for a better position.
- You can also touch the big toes of your feet together for convenience while lifting them in the air.
- Lengthen your back of the neck and gaze ahead.
- Remain in the same position while you count till 10-15 and try to hold it for half to one minute.
- Finally, exhale and release the posture.
Summarizing:
So, there you go! These are some yoga exercises for lower back pain that you must try whether you are dealing with chronic discomfort or just want to stretch and strengthen your back. If you are dealing with such pain, you must deal with the problem rather than ignoring it and facing the consequences later. Now, with these yoga exercises for lower back pain, get ready to bid farewell to back discomfort.
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