The main muscles you use when doing a backbend in yoga are, you guessed it, your back muscles. However, there are a lot of versions of this pose, and they all call on secondary muscles to get into and maintain the positions. Yoga postures for your back can be quite intense, so it is important to warm up properly beforehand.
Back Muscles
No matter what type of backbend you do, you need to warm up your spine, says Sivananda Yoga Europe. This is because almost every posture in yoga involves your back and spinal column, aiming to improve flexibility and suppleness. As well as the spine itself, backbends target your latissimus dorsi, the largest of your back muscles that fan out across your back from under your armpits. Your trapezii, which run down your spine and across your shoulders, and your deltoids, or shoulder muscles, also are required to perform most poses.
Warm-up Pose
According to Yoga Journal, cow pose is a good way to warm up your back and spine in preparation for more advanced backbends. Position yourself on all fours with your back flat. As you inhale, relax your belly and lift your chest and sit bones towards the ceiling. On the exhale, return to the start position and repeat 10 times.
Intermediate Backbend
Locust pose is a slightly more advanced pose than cow pose and further prepares you for deeper backbends, says Yoga Journal. Lie on your stomach with your arms by your side, palms facing up, and your forehead resting on the floor. Turn your thighs slightly inward and contract your buttock muscles, then exhale and lift your head, chest, arms and legs a few inches off the floor. Squeeze your buttocks and inner thighs as much as you can to hold this position for at least 30 seconds. While in the bend, stretch through your arms and legs as if you are trying to reach the wall behind you.
Advanced Backbend
One of the most challenging backbends is king pigeon pose. According to Yoga Journal, it should be attempted only if you are an experienced yoga practitioner and, even then, only if you are warmed up thoroughly. Start in the kneeling position, with your knees, hips, shoulders and head in perfect alignment. Place your hands on the back of your hips, fingers pointing toward the floor, then bend your head, shoulders and chest backward as far as you can. To help maintain your balance, push your hips forward as you bend backward. Once you’ve gone as far as you can, gently relax your head back even farther. This may be as far as you can go – do not force the pose beyond this stage, if you feel any pain in your back or neck. If you can continue, reach your hands back behind you and place them on the floor with your fingers pointing in toward your body. Keep pushing your hips forward so you don’t lose your balance. Again, only if you can progress, slowly lower the crown of your head to the floor. In the end pose, you are holding on to your ankles with both hands and your forearms and forehead are in contact with the floor. To come out of the pose, slowly reverse each step.
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