Lie on your back, bend your knees and put both feet hip-width flat on the floor. On your lower back pain lie straight with your back bent, knees bent, left foot on the ground, right foot raised. Lie on your back, arms stretched out on both sides of your knees, slightly bent, feet on the flat floor.
Place your hands on your left thigh and pull towards your chest until you feel a stretch. Push back your hips and drop your buttocks on the floor until you stretch your arms in front of you and feel the stretch in your back. The back should be on the floor, the lower back straight and the knees on one side.
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💡A few tips to keep in mind before you get started💡
1. Child’s Pose
To deepen the stretch, stick your chin in your chest and raise your head above your knees. This stretch works with the muscle Piriformis, which is located in the buttocks. Stretching of this muscle relieves pain and tightness in the buttocks and lower back.
Bring your left hip to the floor with your right hand and, if necessary, turn your head to the left to stop the stretching. As soon as you feel the muscle in front of your other leg, you start stretching. Keep your arm in this position behind your hip while stretching.
2. Cat/Cow Stretch
Lift your leg in the air till it is fully stretched, then lower to your left side and hold the stretch for 10 seconds. Keep your leg straight, you can do this stretch for as long as you like. Put your leg in the air and lower to your right side and hold for 10 seconds.
Start walking with your hands on your feet and push your hips into the air and push your heels into the ground (remember to imitate an inchworm). You can also try to pedal your legs for a deeper stretch on both sides by bending one knee or the other while straightening the other leg behind you. Both sides should strike a pose at all times.
3. Supine Twist
Make sure you don’t bend your back and keep your other leg flat on the floor. Lie on your back with both knees bent, one knee clinging to your chest and one leg squeezed together under you, the other straight and stretched behind you. If you feel loose, try to pull your knee up towards your chest.
Sit up and stretch your arms as if you were holding the back of a chair while stretching. Pull your abdomen into your spine and lift your chest up, keeping your hips flat and stable.
Lie on your back, bent knees and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart, shoes a few inches above your buttocks. Scoot your buttocks all the way to the wall and swing your feet off the wall.
4. Knee-to-Chest Stretch
Squeeze your buttocks and lift your hips so that your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Push your heels back and squeeze your glute and raise your hips till your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
Lie face down on a mat, legs stretched and arms at the side with palms up. Start with hands and knees sitting on your hips (when sitting with feet together, place a pillow between your hips and feet so that it is firm on your knees ). Lie face down with stability ball on your hip, stability ball in your hand, back to the floor, shoulders and wrists straight, legs stretched, toes on the floor.
Hold this position to stretch your lower back and hips and start swinging from side to side as you massage the muscles around your spine. By stretching the muscles surrounding the spine, you promote mobility and reduce stiffness and pain.
5. The Pelvic Tilt
Stretching can help alleviate symptoms, but it is important to know the true cause of the pain – be it posture, weakness or a serious injury. There is a possibility that a traumatic injury or incident could cause your pain, so a few adjustments to your body position and key exercises, including stretching, can help.
According to the Mayo Clinic, back pain is one of the most common reasons people miss work or go to the doctor, and it is also one of the most common causes of disability. Back injuries can range from muscle strains and joint stiffness to reduced mobility. There are a lot of causes for back pain, but a weak core, poor posture, standing all day and a shortened hip muscle pulling at the lower back are two of the most common factors contributing to back pain and discomfort.
6. Supine Figure 4 Stretch
The beauty of gentle stretching is that it can be done for pain and provides quick relief, says Jamie Costello, fitness director at Pritikin Longevity Center Spa, who recommends these five exercises for the next pain case. Research shows that a combination of strength and aerobic training and stretching 2 to 3 times a week can prevent and relieve back pain. When it strikes and goes off the rails, you can strengthen your core and stretch the muscles that support the lower spine, which can be helpful.
This stretching can be done at the desk to provide you with immediate relief. You can pull the armrests of your chair backwards to stretch your back as far as you like for deeper stretching. To stretch much further, you can place a pillow or pile of blankets under your knees as you rotate to the side.
Similar to the other routes on this list, the lower back muscles lengthen and contract. This stretching helps not only stretch your lower back, but also your gluteal muscles, which can tighten if you have lower back pain and cause more pain. This stretching relaxes your hips, thighs and gluteal muscles and promotes overall relaxation.
