YOGA POSES TO HELP WITH YOUR BACK PAIN
Sitting all day, driving and typing can all lead to lower back pain and shoulder pain. To fight the aches and pains associated with daily life, try these yoga poses that can help with back pain. Stay in each pose for 30 seconds to 3 minutes, focusing on your breath. If any of the poses feel painful to do, don’t hold them and try another pose.
Try these poses often, especially as a break during a stint of typing at your desk or sitting in a meeting. The better you get at the poses, the better your back will feel!
- Standing backbend: stand up tall with your feet hip-distance apart. Reach your arms up above your head, keeping your gaze forward and your shoulders down. Try not to arch your back as you lift your arms. Ground down through your feet and gently hinge your upper body back from the hips while engaging your core. Only move a few centimeters at a time. Keep pulling your shoulder blades down and feel the gentle stretch through your spine. Release after a few rounds of breath.
- Knee-knock pose: lie on your back with your arms by your sides. Bend your knees while keeping your feet on the floor so your legs are bent and knees are together, pointing up. Then keep your knees together and slide your feet away from your knees a few inches. Push your belly button into the floor and feel a release in your lower back. Hold for a few cycles of breath
- Upward dog: lie face-down on the floor. Slide your hands next to your rib cage and push up so that your chest and torso are off the ground, but your legs are still on the ground. Straighten your arms if you can and look up. Feel a stretch along your spine. Hold for a few cycles of breath
Try these poses often, especially as a break during a stint of typing at your desk or sitting in a meeting. The better you get at the poses, the better your back will feel!