The practice of yoga contains many excellent stretches for your back. Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual system of exercises that originated in India. You can practice the following yoga-inspired stretches and poses to keep your back healthy and strong.
Locust Pose
You can practice the locust pose to strengthen your spine and upper back. Lie on your stomach to start. Keep your arms alongside your body. Turn the palms of your hands up towards the ceiling. Squeeze your buttocks muscles and lift your legs and chest off the floor. Lift your arms as well while you pull your shoulders back. Try to bring your shoulders closer together during the stretch. Breathe through your nose and hold this stretch for a couple seconds.
Downward-Facing Dog Stretch
This popular yoga pose stretches out your entire back and helps you have better posture as well. You can begin this pose by coming into a push-up position. To do this, your body should be in a straight line, with the balls of your feet and hands on the ground and your shoulders directly above your hands. Then lift your hips and shift your spine backwards so that your body resembles an inverted letter "V" shape. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Your palms need to be flat on the floor, with your fingers spread widely apart. Flatten your back. Try to keep your legs straight as you attempt to push your heels into the floor. Relax your neck as you hold this stretch for a couple breaths.
Seated Forward Bend
Seated forward bends provide an intense stretch for your entire back. This stretch also improves your digestion and helps reduce stomach fat, stress and mild depression. Sit on the floor with your legs in front of you to do start. Inhale as you extend your torso towards the ceiling. Then lean forward over your legs from your hip joints. If possible, hold the sides of your feet with the hands of the same side of your body. If this is impossible for you, hold onto your calves or ankles instead. Hold the stretch for one to three minutes.
Bridge Pose
In addition to strengthening your lower back and relieving backache, the bridge pose also stretches your chest, neck and spine. To do this pose, start by lying with your back on the floor. Bend your knees and place your feet on the ground. Keep your heels as close to your sitting bones as you can. Lift your thighs and buttocks until they are as parallel to the ground as possible. Make sure to keep your knees directly over your heels. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds to a minute.
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