Push Back the Pain: 5 Simple Exercises to Avoid Lower Back Pain

This article is part of a series on Back Pain. Check out the other articles below:

1. Understanding Lower Back Pain
2. 4 Simple Ways to Get Instant Relief from Back Pain
3. 4 Reasons You Should Not Ignore Back Pain
4. The Role of Nutrition in Treating Lower Back Pain

Trying to combat back pain via these 3 methods  is a journey you have to embark on with yourself. They are:

1. Regular Exercise
2. Regular breaks
3. Right posture

While these are promises and tiny corrections you will make to your life on an everyday basis, here are 5 exercises will release the tension from your back.

Static stretches inspired by yoga create the smallest of spaces between the spine which goes a long way in easing out the pain from the muscles. These poses increase blood flow to the parts of your body needing it while stretching out to release the cramped up muscles.

Exercise 1: The Warrior Pose

1. This is achieved by keeping the back stretched and the crown of the head lifted.
2. Step the left leg back and align your knee in a manner that your leg is forming a 90 degree with the ground.
3. Keep your abs tucked in to give you strength and your buttocks clenched to give you stability.
4. If you can lean your upper body away from your leg and your right hand straight in front of you and your left hand straight back behind you to form a straight line.
5. Repeat on the other side.

Exercise 2: Lying Down Quad Stretch

1. Lie on your left side. Let your head rest in your left palm. Keep both legs straight and stretched. Now bend your right leg at the knee and hold your ankle with your right hand near your buttocks.
2. Now gently pull your ankle upwards towards your head. You should feel a very light pain in your lower back.
3. Squeeze the buttocks and hold this position to the count of 15 to 20. Release your ankle and bring the leg back to the straight position. Now turn and lie on your right side and repeat.

Exercise 3: The Cat-Cow Spine Inversions

This is a great exercise for immediate relief from pain because it directly works to remove tension with minimum movements.

1. Get down on your knees and put your palms flat on the ground directly blow the shoulders.
2. Now arch your back so that your stomach sticks out (your torso should be forming the top of an S and your butt should be rounded). Imagine that you are trying to touch the ground with your navel. Don’t bend your hands. Keep them straight.
3. Keep your thighs at ninety degrees to the ground. Hold it for five seconds.
4. Now curve your back outwards. Imagine that you are trying to touch the ceiling of your room with your spine (this resembles the cat stretch). You can turn your head inwards.
5. Hold it for five seconds.

Do 10 repetitions or more for instant relief.

Exercise 4: Dhanurasan or the Bow Pose

This exercise gives the back a deep stretch.

1. Lie on your stomach. Bend your legs at the knee and grab them the ankles to bring them up.
2. Now try to straighten your legs slowly while slowly lifting your torso up. This will cause a stretch. Keep pulling as you begin to feel the stretch. Look up towards the ceiling or as high as you can without your body complaining.
3. Once you reach the maximum possible stretch, hold that position to the count of 10 or for as long as you can.

You will feel the tension in your back releasing, and your back pain going away.

Exercise 5: The Pigeon Pose

1. For this begin lying face down on your mat. Pull yourself up to a plank position.
2. While maintaining balance on your hands, scoop up your right leg and bring it front of you with your knee bent and place it down on the mat.
3. At this point your left leg will be stretched straight behind you and the right leg bent at the knee in front. Try to place your sit bones on the mat. If you can;t, don’t worry; practice will get you there.
4. Hold here or come down on your elbows for an extended stretch and stay here for 10 seconds.

These simple exercises can help you alleviate the nuisance of back pain, or avoid it altogether!