It is hard to play any game or sport with a stiff back, but the back is often the most neglected part of a warm-up routine. The muscles in your upper and lower back need to be warmed up and stretched just like the rest of the muscles in your body.
Warm-Up Exercises
There are a few schools of thought regarding the proper warm-up. Some athletes prefer to simply get a light jog in to get the blood flowing before stretching, while others prefer some specific exercises to warm up the area that is about to be stretched. Both approaches work as long as you do something and do not start stretching cold. Specific back warm-up drills include good mornings, wood chops and supermans, all of which should be performed with no weighted resistance. Perform good mornings by standing with your feet together and legs straight, then bend at your waist while keeping your back straight. Try to bend until your back is parallel to the ground. Wood chops are performed by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and legs straight. Raise both arms above your right shoulder and reach down to touch your toes like you are chopping a tree. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. Supermans are performed by lying on your stomach with your arms and legs fully extended. Raise your right arm and left leg, hold for five seconds, then lower and repeat with your other arm and leg.
Knee to Chest
The knee to chest stretch works the lower back muscles and the Sports Injury Clinic says that the stretch can provide relief from lower back pain. Start by lying flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Pull your knees to your chest as far as you can and hold for at least 15 seconds. You can make the move more challenging by pulling one knee to the opposite side of your chest to stretch the back to the side as well.
Over the Shoulder
The over the shoulder stretch forces you to rotate your back and stretches the entire back and oblique muscles. Sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you. Bend your right knee and cross it over your left leg by placing your right foot against the outside of your left knee. Place your left elbow outside of your right knee and use it to push off and rotate your body around so that you are looking behind you. Rotate as far as you can and hold the stretch for at least 15 seconds. Return to the starting position and repeat the process in the other direction.
Upper Back Stretches
The lat stretch and arch stretch work the muscles of the upper back. To perform the lat stretch, kneel with your feet under your butt and lean forward to stretch your arms as far in front of you as you can. The rest of your body should stay motionless until you extend your butt down toward your feet as much as you can to feel a stretch in the upper back. Hold for at least 15 seconds. According to the Sports Injury Clinic, the arch stretch is similar to a yoga exercise. Kneel and place your hands on the ground so that you are on all fours. Arch your back up as high as possible, in a move similar to a cat stretch. Hold the high point for at least 15 seconds before relaxing.
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