My back has been bothering me for a couple of weeks now, which has meant no kickboxing for me. I never like missing my Saturday morning cardio workout because when I do finally return (four weeks later), I feel out of shape.
Determined to keep up some kind of exercise routine while not further aggravating my back, I turned to yoga. I have been going to yoga fairly regularly as of late, and with my back injury I have noticed an improvement in pain and mobility as a result of the stretching.
Here are the poses that have helped to ease my sore back:
1. Cat and Cow: This simple routine of rounding and arching your back while you are on all four’s is so easy to do. I instantly feel my lower back relaxing and a lot of tension leaving my shoulder and neck. To get the full benefit, remember to round your back on the inhale and arch your back on the exhale.
2. Child’s Pose: This is one of my favorite yoga poses, and I have found it to be a good stretch first thing in the morning or before bed. When the yoga class gets a bit too intense for me, this is the pose I retreat to—and my back thanks me for it!
3. Corpse: As the name implies, there isn’t much to this one. Just lie on your back with your palms facing the sky and let your body relax. You can also bring your knees to your chest and slowly rock from side-to-side for a gentle back massage. I like doing this one to conclude a yoga class.
4. Standing Half Forward Bend: Can’t quite get your hands on the floor? Don’t worry. This pose can be modified so you bring your hands to the front of your shins while stretching your torso. It is a great spine and lower back stretch.
5. Cobra Pose: The cobra pose is a gentle lower back stretch. Lying face down, use your arms to gently lift your upper body off the yoga mat. With your hips on the mat, come up only as far as you can without pain. I did this pose a couple of times in a sequence the other night and felt my shoulders, neck, and back loosen up.
As with any exercise routine, you should consult a physician before beginning. But if your doc gives you the green light, these are some easy poses to get you started and loosened up.
This is awesome. Stumbled across this as I’m super intrigued on starting yoga but unsure of where to start. Any suggestions?
So glad you stopped over! I first got into yoga through Lululemon. My local store offered complimentary classes every Sunday. I also downloaded an app called Yoga Studio on my iPad, which was great when I wanted to practice at home. Hope this helps!
Awesome! I think I’ll give the app a go first, I like the idea of learning at home. If you’re in fb at all we have a really nice group of fitness/health enthusiasts. I think a lot of them would like to learn more about yoga if you’d like to join us? Here’s the link – https://www.facebook.com/groups/theactiveyou/
Good luck with the app and thanks for the link. I’ll check it out!