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Yoga might be just what the doctor ordered if you have back pain. It's a mental-body therapy that's often suggested for back pain and the stress that comes with it. With the right poses, your body can both relax and get stronger.
Even if you only do yoga for a few minutes a day, it can help you learn more about your body. That will help you see where you're holding tension and where you're out of balance. You can bring yourself back into balance and alignment by being aware of that.
Restorative Yoga Exercises for Back Pain
Check out these five restorative yoga asanas and exercises that can help you get rid of back pain. These poses will stretch and lengthen the back muscles and strengthen them over time:
1) Downward Facing Dog
The Adho Mukha Svanasana can help you relax and feel better. This pose can help people with back pain and sciatica feel better. It helps address the body's imbalance and makes it stronger.
The hamstrings, shoulders, gluteus maximus, triceps, and quadriceps get a workout. Check out how you can do this yoga pose:
- Get on your knees and hands on the floor. Your hands should be in line with your wrists, and knees should be in line with the hips.
- Press into your hands; tuck your toes under, and lift your knees.
- Bring your sitting bones up towards the ceiling.
- Keep your knees slightly bent and your spine and tailbone long.
- Don't let your heels touch the ground. Put a lot of force into your hands.
- Spread your weight evenly on both sides of the body, and pay attention to how your hips and shoulders are positioned.
- Keep your head level with your upper arms, or slightly tuck your chin in.
- You can stay in this pose for up to a minute.
2) Extended Triangle Pose
The Trikonasana can help ease sciatica, neck and back pain. It strengthens the shoulders, chest, and legs and stretches the back, hips, and groin.
It can also help ease stress and worry. The latissimus dorsi, internal obliques, gluteus maximus, medius, hamstrings, and quadriceps get worked out.
Check out how you can do this yoga pose:
- Stand with your feet 3-4 feet apart from each other (or as far or as it's comfortable for you).
- Turn your right toes forward, and angle your left toes out.
- With your palms facing down, lift your arms so that they are parallel to the floor.
- Lean forward, and bend at the right hip to bring your arm and torso forward.
- Bring your hand to the floor, your leg, or a yoga block. Stretch your left arm up towards the ceiling.
- You can look up, ahead, or down.
- You can stay in this pose for up to a minute. Repeat on the other side.
3) Sphinx Pose
This easy backbend makes the back and buttocks stronger, which can help ease back pain.
It gives the chest, shoulders, and stomach a good stretch. It can also help you feel less stressed. This exercise uses the erector spinae, gluteal muscles, pectoralis major, trapezius, and latissimus dorsi muscles.
Check out how you can do this yoga pose:
- Lay down on your stomach with your legs stretched out in front of you.
- Use your lower back, buttocks, and thigh muscles.
- Place your forearms on the floor, with the palms facing down and elbows under the shoulders.
- Slowly lift your head and upper body. Lift your lower abs, and contract them to support the back.
- Make sure you're lifting up through your spine and out through the crown of your head instead of collapsing into your lower back.
- Keep your eyes straight ahead as you fully relax in this pose, but stay active, and engaged at the same time.
- Hold this position for up to two minutes.
4) Locust Pose
This easy backbend can help with lower back pain and tiredness. It makes the back, torso, arms, and legs stronger. The exercise utilizes the trapezius, erector spinae, gluteus maximus, and tricep muscles.
Check out how you can do this yoga pose:
- Lay down on your stomach with your palms facing up and arms next to the body.
- Touch your big toes together, and turn your heels out to the side.
- Put a light touch on your head on the floor.
- Slowly lift your head, chest, and arms up part of the way, all the way, or halfway.
- You can put your hands together, and intertwine your fingers behind your back.
- Lift your legs to go deeper into the pose. As you stretch the back of the neck, look straight ahead or a little bit up.
- Hold this position for up to a minute. Rest before you repeat the pose again.
5) Bridge Pose
This is a backbend and inversion that's both restorative and stimulating. It stretches the spine and can help reduce back pain and headaches.
This asana works out the rectus and transverse abdominis, glutes, hamstrings, and erector spinae.
Check out how you can do this yoga pose:
- Lay down on your back with your knees bent and heels pulled into your sitting bones.
- Place your arms next to the body.
- As you lift your tailbone, press your feet and arms into the floor. Keep going up till your thighs are even with the floor.
- Leave your arms as they are, or put your hands under your hips for support.
- You can stay in this pose for up to a minute.
- Roll your back slowly down to the floor, vertebra by vertebra, to let go. Bend your knees together.
- Calm down, and take deep breaths in this position.
