1. Yoga for Strength and Flexibility
Yoga offers an approach to developing back muscle tone. Yoga promotes two major components of muscle tone, strength and flexibility. Additionally, yoga provides ways to relax the muscles to remove tension and foster recovery from strengthening and stretching workouts. The practice of yoga helps the back because yoga emphasizes correct alignment of the spine and good posture, both of which require toned back muscles. There are also specific poses that target the back.
2. Stretch Like a Cat
Back stretching poses include the Child Pose, the Cat Pose and the Knee to Chest Pose. For the Child Pose, kneel on the floor with your knees apart. Sit back on your heels, then stretch forward to rest your forehead on the floor. Place a folded blanket, low stool or chair in front of you to rest your head on if you cannot stretch all the way to the floor. Begin the Cat Pose on your hands and knees. Lift your back toward the ceiling letting your head drop down. To get into the Knee to Chest Pose, lie on your back, keep your head and hips on the floor and bend your knees into your chest while holding them there with your hands.
3. Be Strong Like a Mountain
Standing poses are a good way to strengthen back muscles. The most basic is the Mountain Pose where you stand with feet together and arms at your sides. Keep your hips back over your heels and stretch up through the back to avoid over-bending the lower back. Keep shoulders down and back and lift the chest. There are several poses such as the Fish, the Cobra and the Locust. When doing these you lie on the floor face down and lift either your head, shoulders and chest, legs or both using the back muscles. These poses are excellent for developing back strength.
4. Tension Eases in the Corpse Pose
Relaxing the back muscles relieves unwanted tension that might otherwise contribute to back pain, and allows the back muscles to rest and recover after toning work. To rest at the conclusion of a yoga workout do the Corpse Pose. Lie flat on your back with your arms at your sides and your feet slightly apart. Close your eyes and allow every muscle in your body to relax. If lying flat is uncomfortable for your back, rest your lower legs on the seat of a chair or place a bolster or folded blanket under your knees.
5. Yoga Helps Back Pain Too
Yoga practices help eliminate many kinds of back pain, since back pain can result from weak back muscles, tightness and stiffness or poor spinal alignment. The back stretching poses can help with muscular back pain by loosening stiff muscles. Poses like the Mountain Pose and seated postures like the Adept's Pose, the Lotus Pose and the Staff Pose straighten the spine and can relieve back pain caused by misalignment or poor postural habits.
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