Yoga For Back Pain – 3 Easy to Do Yoga Exercises to Relieve Back Pain

Is your back hurting you? Does it feel stiff, sore and tender to touch? If you sit or stand for lengthy periods, do you cringe and hold your lower back when you change positions? Maybe you experience shooting pains down one side of your legs and hobble when you walk.

If you have ever suffered from back pain, you will know how painful and debilitating it is. You can go for months without any pain when ping…you bend over and your back “locks” and you are not able to stand up straight.

Back pain is the second most common cause of long term sickness in the UK after stress. The most common causes of back pain are strained muscles or ligaments, wear and tear, bad posture and stress. About 150 million working days a year are lost in the UK because of lower back pain. Figures like these make dismal reading, especially if you suffer from back pain.

Prevention is better than cure. If you know you are prone to back ache and back pain, then it is essential you take time to care for your back. The practice of yoga can be used to help ease pain and chronic pain.

A regular yoga exercise program will help you to develop strength and tone in your body and improve flexibility in your spine.

If you suffer from back pain, please consult your doctor before starting a new exercise program. Always listen to your body and be gentle as you move through the stretches.

3 Easy to do Yoga Exercises to Relieve Back Pain

1. The cat pose. Imagine how gracefully and elegantly a cat moves and stretches its body. As you practice this pose imagine you are a cat. Sit on the floor on your knees with your hands flat on the floor. Your body makes the shape of a table. Make sure your hands and knees support you firmly, so your hands are in line with your shoulders and knees in line with your hips. Make sure your back is flat and not rounded. Breathe in and arch your back, as you breathe out, drop your head forward so that it is resting between your arms. Breathe in and raise your chin. As you do so, you back will curve inwards. Take three – five deep breaths in this position then repeat the sequence 3 – 5 times. Take time to move gracefully through the pose. Relax and return to a flat back.

2. Hug your knees to your chest. Laying comfortably on your back either on your mat or your bed; gently raise your knees and clasp your hands around them then hug your knees to your chest. Relax your shoulders as you gently rock and massage your lower spine on the mat. Do whatever feels natural for you, maybe making small circular movements or rolling up and down (like a rocking horse) along your spine. Gradually relax as you release your arms and return your legs to the mat/bed.

3. The child pose. Resting in the child pose relaxes the whole body; it eases the lower back muscles and stretches the whole of your back. Resting on your mat or your bed, kneel with your buttocks resting on your heels. Bend at the hips and allow your stomach to relax on your thighs and rest your forehead on the mat. Relax your arms and hands on the floor beside you with your palms up and your fingers pointing towards your feet. If this feels uncomfortable, you can separate your knees and create space for your stomach, you can also place a pillow between your calves and thighs or on your lap. Stay in the pose and gently breath in and out through your nose for 3 – 7 rounds of deep breathing.

If you suffer from lower back pain, regularly practice these three easy yoga exercises. They will help you to ease your back pain, improve flexibility in your spine and strengthen and tone your back muscles. Take it easy and be gentle. Rome wasn’t built in a day.