When you’re experiencing back pain, it’s easy to turn to the medicine cabinet or a couch for relief. But there are other ways to combat your discomfort—and stretching can be one of them! In fact, research shows that yoga may be an effective therapy for lower back pain. While professional guidance is always recommended when undertaking any exercise program, these six stretches can help relieve some of your aches and pains:
1. Back Flexion Stretch
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on the small of your back with your elbows straight. Gently pull your knees toward your chest, keeping your feet flat on the floor. Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute and repeat two or three times.
2. Pirifomis Muscle Stretch
The piriformis muscle is a small but important muscle in your lower back. It helps to rotate and flex the hip, so it’s important to stretch this area if you have any pain or discomfort in your lower back.
The piriformis stretch can be done anywhere, but it’s best if you have someone help guide them through the movements so they know how far down to push their foot as well as where exactly on their leg they should be pressing down (you don’t want them pressing directly into their knee or ankle!). To do this stretch:
- Sit on floor with legs straight out in front of you and hands behind head with fingers interlaced; 2) Lift right leg up off floor; 3) Bend right knee and bring left foot towards chest while keeping right knee bent at 90 degrees; 4) Hold for 10 seconds then release; 5) Repeat steps 1-4 four more times before switching sides
3. Chair Hamstring Stretch
This stretch is ideal if you’re sitting at work and need to stretch out your hamstrings.
- Stand behind a chair, holding onto it for support.
- Bend one knee and pull the other foot towards your buttocks, keeping both hips facing forward as much as possible. You should feel the stretch in your hamstring muscle on the opposite side of where you are bending/pulling (i.e., if you were pulling with your right leg and bending with your left). Hold this position for 30 seconds before switching sides; repeat 3 times total per side
4. Towel Hamstring Stretch
To perform the towel hamstring stretch, lie on your back with both feet flat on the floor and knees bent. Wrap a towel around the ball of each foot and hold onto each end of it with both hands. Then slowly straighten one leg at a time until you feel a gentle stretch in your hamstring muscles (the backs of thighs). Tight hamstrings are common among people who sit for long periods of time or have poor posture; they also tend to be tighter on one side than another due to asymmetrical activity patterns or muscle imbalances. The towel hamstring stretch can help correct this imbalance by stretching out those tight muscles so they’re more balanced with their counterparts on either side of your body–and therefore less likely to cause pain when used during activities like running or cycling! Make sure not to bounce while performing this stretch–move slowly through each range of motion until you feel some tension before holding still for 30 seconds at that point so that all four layers relax into place properly while lengthening evenly along their full length.”
5. Lateral Flexion Stretch
Lie down on your right side, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place a pillow under your head and neck if it feels comfortable. Slowly stretch out the left arm, placing it across the chest or behind your back. Repeat this movement with both arms.
6. Kneeling Lunge Stretch
The Kneeling Lunge Stretch is a good way to stretch your quadriceps, hamstrings and calves. To perform this stretch:
- Start in a lunge position with one leg forward and the other leg back.
- Keep your back straight, chest lifted and shoulders relaxed.
- Bend at the hips until you feel a gentle pull in both legs (don’t force it).
The best thing you can do is to keep your back healthy and strong. If you have been suffering from back pain, try doing these stretches regularly and see if they work for you. You may also want to check with your doctor or physical therapist before starting any new exercise program so that they can advise on proper form and technique as well as offer other recommendations based on their professional experience with similar cases like yours!
