Yoga to Take Care of Your Back at Home

Trying to find ways to get rid of chronic back pain?! In that case, yoga is just what you need!

Back pain, whether acute or chronic, is one of the most common issues of modern times! Although many things can help when we experience back pain, almost none of them are as efficient as yoga. Join us to learn more about yoga for the back! 

We are living in such times that we can feel free to say that most people experienced back pain, at least once in their lives.  You see,  there are many things that we learn throughout life. However,  no one is teaching us how to sit and stand correctly to protect our back. Yeah, maybe PE teachers, but whoever listened to them?!  

The truth is that we don’t even think about our back.  Until it starts to hurt, that is! But even then, some people neglect the problem and continue as if nothing is happening. And then they reach a point when the pain gets so bad that they have to ask for professional help, take medication, and so on. But what if there are things we can do for our back much before complications begin? 

You know, the back has a way more significant role in our lives than we are willing to grant it. Many of the things that we do depend directly on the strength of the spine, muscles, and other things in our back – walking, sitting, eating, etc.  And while different exercises can be effective in eliminating pain, yoga can do much more than that.  If you are practicing yoga for back care regularly, it can help you build a strong backbone and muscles in the way that pain never really becomes part of your life. 

Yoga for Back

People sometimes tend to be dismissive of yoga. They think it is for old people or those who are not strong enough or brave enough to practice ‘real sport’. They see it as slow, boring, etc. We assure you that these are all misconceptions.  Although it may appear too focused on breathing techniques and meditation, yoga is a complex and challenging discipline that is designed to bring you both mental and physical health. Each of the postures and, aka asanas is created very carefully to target and strengthen certain muscles of the body as much as your mind. Believe it or not, people who regularly practice yoga, reach the point of having the strength and stamina of people practicing martial arts. 

Rather than talking about yoga in general, today we will talk about yoga for the back. The situation we found ourselves in this year contributed to the sad reality that we move even less than we did in the past years when the world was free from COVID-19. Hours of sitting in front of the computer put a lot of strain on the back. And then sitting on the couch and lack of activity because of COVID makes things worse. Fortunately,  unlike other exercises that may require you to go to the gym or park, you can perfectly do yoga for back health at home. In this text, we are going to share with you some yoga poses for the back that you can do whenever you find a free moment. In this text, in collaboration with gym-expert.com, we are going to share with you some yoga poses for the back that you can do whenever you find a free moment.

Six Yoga Poses for Back 

Balasana (Child’s pose) 

It is a yoga pose for back stretching. 

Another name for it is Child’s Resting Pose. 

It is a kneeling posture in modern yoga exercises. It helps alleviate back pain. 

• Place yourself on the mat with your hands and knees.
• Spread the knees as wide as the mat.
• Keep arms stretched in front of you or next to your thighs, depending on what is easier for you.
• While relaxing the shoulders, bring your belly to rest between the thighs.
• Stay in this position for several minutes.

Adho Mukha Svanasana 

It will probably be easier to pronounce the English translation of this asana – Downward Facing Dog. It is yoga for back extension.  It can also help those who have sciatica. 

• Go down on all four
• Place the knees under the hips and keep hands aligned with elbows. 
• Rely on the hands, keep toes under and lift the knees 
• Lift the sit bones (ischial tuberosity) toward the ceiling
• Keep slightly bent knees and extend the spine and tailbone.
• Heels should be a bit off the ground.
• Make sure that weight is evenly distributed. 
• Keep your head in line with your upper arms. 
• Keep the position for one minute.

Cobra Pose 

It’s an excellent yoga pose to improve your back flexibility. 

It also strengthens arms, abs, shoulders, etc. It is exceptionally beneficial for the muscles of the uterus. Another name for it is Bhujangasana. 

• Lie on your belly with arms under the shoulders, fingers facing forward.
• Put your arms close to the chest but be careful that your elbows aren’t sticking outside.
• Press into your hands and slowly lift your head, chest, and shoulders.
• You can lift only part, halfway, or entirely.
• As you exhale, let the back go down on the mat.
• Put the arms close to the sides and rest your head. 
• Repeat

Cat-Cow Pose

It is a combination of two asanas – Marjaryasana (cat pose) and Bitilasana (cow pose). It is another one of the yoga poses for the back extension. This combination stretches the body in general and prepares it for other postures. 

• Go down on your hands and knees, making sure that your wrists are under your shoulders, and knees under the hips. 
• Start from Cat pose. Inhale and then slowly exhale while drawing your belly into the spine and curve your back toward the ceiling, basically like the cat who is stretching her back. 
• Then move to cow pose. Inhale slowly and drop the stomach in the direction of the mat. Look up towards the ceiling while lifting your chin and chest. 

Temple Pose 

This yoga for the back pose is called Utkata Konasana in Sanskrit.  It is a type of squat exercise.  It strengthens the entire lower body.

• Start from the Mountain pose, making sure that arms are at your sides.
• Turn to the right and step the feet apart.
• While exhaling, bend your knees  and lower your hips into a squat
• Extend the arms to reach a shoulder-length, palms facing forward. Bend elbows and point fingers towards the ceiling
• Tuck tailbone and push hips forward and thighs back. 
• Keep knees aligned with ankles and relax shoulders. 
• Hold for ten breaths and slowly return to the starting position.

Locust Pose 

Locust pose (Salabhasana) is a splendid exercise for the upper back. It strengthens the muscles and improves posture. It also strengthens the abs and chest muscles. 

• Lie on the stomach with arms stretched at your sides, and legs extended behind you, hip-width apart. 
• Inhale, lift the head and look in front. 
• As you exhale, lift the chest and arms. Remember that arms need to be next to your body, with palms down. With a gentle downward pushing action, press down with extended arms and raise the upper spine. 
• Alternatively, you can keep your alms parallel to the floor and stretch back through your fingertips. 
• Using the inner thighs, lift the legs towards the ceiling. Lengthen the legs and reach back through your toes. Distribute the weight evenly on your front pelvis, belly, and lower ribs 
• Make sure that your chest is lifted while you draw the shoulder blades to your ribs and extend them far from each other. 
• Hold for one minute. 

Final Word 

We have covered six yoga asanas for your back. These are not the only poses that yoga offers to people wanting to improve their back health. Keep in mind that yoga is an excellent discipline for those who want to prevent back pain, and those who are already bothered by it, who want to maintain their mental and body’s health, yoga is for everyone.  What do you do to get rid of back pain? Have you tried or considered practicing yoga before?

Author’s bio: The author of the article is Thomas Nemel. He is a yoga lover, fitness enthusiast, and gearhead. Thomas believes that yoga can strengthen not only your body but your mind too. He loves to help people become healthier through his writings.