It’s a common biological fact that our spinal cord holds the responsibility of keeping the body together and is the primary assistant for the movement of our body. Thus, making our back as the stem of our body which strengthens and holds the body erect. With the onslaught of technology, we have accustomed our daily routine to a sedentary lifestyle. We are the generation of people with the complaint of lower back issues, stiff neck, and tightness in upper back muscles. It’s the reducing movement of our body that results in the stiffness of these muscles.
Practice incorporating periodic breaks in your inactiveness, move around your space or take up a flight of stairs. Gentle stretching is the quick and easy solution for loosening up your body thus, alleviating stress and tension that has built-up. You can daily practice 10 minutes of gentle Yoga stretch and Asana routine paired with proper breathing, to fix your lower back issues. Pain management through Yoga and Meditation is a wise approach to keeping your back strong and fit.
Simple warm-up and stretching exercises along with powerful Yoga practices enhance flexibility. A combination of mindfulness and flexibility is the key to holistic health.
1) Head & Neck Stretches:-
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Start with gently inhaling; now slowly drop your head towards your left shoulder (without lifting the shoulder). Exhaling, bring your head back to the center. Repeat the same on the right side and return back to center as you exhale.
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Inhaling, tilt the head back without moving the shoulders or your body. Move upwards after titling backward, gaze at the ceiling. Exhaling, bring your head down and tuck your chin into the throat cavity. Inhaling, come back to the center.
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Inhaling, turn your head to look towards the right side. Exhaling, come to the center. Repeat the same for your left side.
2) Shoulder Stretches:-
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Start with keeping your hands by your side. Inhaling, try to lift the shoulders towards your ears and form a “cup” with your shoulders. Now exhaling, relax your shoulders.
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With a starting position that keeps your hands on the side, practice shoulder rotation; both at once or do it individually.
3) Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose:-
This Asana helps in strengthening your lower back muscles.
4) Adhomukha Shavanasana or Downward Dog Pose:-
Downward facing dog pose is a well-known Asana that builds the strength of our abdominal muscles which are essential for supporting the lower back. This asana offers an opportunity to reverse the gravity forces that usually act on the spine. The hip joint flexing and folding bring the abdominal viscera closer towards the spine and thus strengthen them together. It also invigorates your nervous system.
5) Naukasana or Boat Pose:-
The easy abdominal crunch achieved from this particular posture is the best benefit it provides. But along, it also builds our core strength and thereby benefits the health of our lower spine region. Additionally, it helps to curb the redundant fat accumulated around the abdominal region.
6) Ushtrasana or Camel Pose:-
Camel pose aids in reducing the lower back pain and it also gently opens up the upper chest region. People with drooping shoulders and back hunches will benefit the most from this Asana. The entire spine is stretched, releasing tension from your lower back and tones up your spine.
7) Marjariasana or Cat Pose:-
Cat pose is an effective Asana for getting rid of fatigue and relief from chronic back pain. It effectively opens up the upper and lower back muscles. It brings in flexibility, massaging the digestive organs thus improving digestion. Cat pose also relaxes your mind and tones your abdominal region.
8) Trikonasana or Triangle Pose:-
Trikonasana can be easily incorporated in your daily routine, thus offering relief from lower back pain.
9) Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose:-
This pose provides the much-needed support to your tailbone and in the process cushions the lower back muscles. At the end of a workout session or after a stressful day with swollen feet and tired ankles, it calls for lying down flat on your back with legs raised at 90 degrees with the support of a wall, this offers quick relief from the all the tension. It recirculates the blood flow, thus helping in relieving lower back pain and minimizing sciatica symptoms.
10) Shavasana:-
Ending every Yoga session or stretching with Shavasana is ideally suggested by Yoga Sutras. The corpse posture also known as guided relaxation helps to provide adequate rest and unwinding for each and every cell of your body.
So, take a break from your inactiveness, stretch a little and practice Yoga daily to bid goodbye to sore lower back and backaches.