Back and Hip Stretches

Flexibility training for your back and hips can create many positive benefits for your health. For pregnant women, stretching the hips keeps the pelvis flexible for labor, and stretching the lower back helps to alleviate the back pain that can result from carrying a child. For office workers, stretching the upper and lower back can reduce the stiffness that comes with sitting for long periods of time. For the general population, the increased range of motion that comes along with stretching creates a practical reaching ability and less chance of an injury.

Upper Back Stretch

Either standing or seated with your feet shoulder width apart and your torso aligned in an upright position, relax your shoulders and hold your head up high as if there was a string attached to the top of your head. Extend both arms forward in front of you and interlace your fingers with your palms pointing forward and away from your body. Reach both arms further in front of you. Relax and separate your shoulder blades. Breathe deeply and hold for at least 30 seconds.

Low Back Stretch

To stretch your lower back, place yourself on a mat or carpet with the weight of your body supported by your hands and knees. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders, and your knees should be directly under your hips. Bringing your navel in toward your spine, round out your back and you breathe out, and hope the position for several seconds. Next, inhale and relax your stomach and back, making your back flat and parallel with the mat. Repeat until you feel tired or you complete 10 repetitions.

Tailor Stretch

The tailor stretch targets the hips, particularly the inner thighs. To perform a tailor stretch, sit on the floor with your torso upright and the heels of your feet together. Stack up each vertebrate over your hips and pull your navel in toward your spine. Hold your right ankle with your right hand and your left ankle with your left hand. Let each knee drop to the floor at either side of you. Hold for 30 seconds to one minute.

Triangle Pose

Triangle pose, Utthita Trikonasana, opens up the hips from a standing position. To stretch your hips in this way, stand with your feet slightly further than shoulder width apart, with each arm reaching out away from your body and parallel to the floor. Relax your shoulders, turn your left foot slightly to the right, and rotate your right foot, knee and leg out so that your foot is parallel with your right arm. Exhale and rotate at the waist so that your right hand reaches down to your right shin or foot and your left hand reaches up toward the ceiling. Try to reach your chest up toward the ceiling and work to open up your hips as much as possible. Breathe deeply and hold for approximately 30 seconds. Slowly realign yourself until you return to standing. Repeat on the opposite side.