Watch your back- Yoga for back pain

Back pain? Try these Yoga poses at home to strengthen your spine

We can do practically nothing without a strong spine and well-conditioned back muscles. Weakness or injuries in these areas can be debilitating. Yoga places enormous emphasis on spinal health and good posture that supports the spine, reducing wear and tear and damage as we age. Regular back strengthening exercises give strength and flexibility to our spines. Yoga is effective for back pain.

Here are a few Yoga Asanas that you can do at home, provided you do not have any pre-existing back problems, or other health conditions. If you have not exercised or done Yoga in a while, or are in the senior age bracket, then it would be best if you did the poses under the supervision of qualified professional instructors.

Back Strengthening Exercises

Cat Pose – Marjariasana

Benefits of the cat pose:

• Increases flexibility: The cat pose is one of the best to improve muscle flexibility, enabling you to advance to more complex poses. It gently warms you up for your full practice session.
• Strengthens the spine: The cat pose activates the tailbone — the bone at the very root of the spinal cord — releasing tension in the neck and upper back areas. The pose will also improve blood flow in your spine.
• Stretches the hips, abdomen and back: The cat pose stretches your abdomen, hips, lungs and chest, improving flexibility and relieving tension in these areas.

How to do the cat pose:

• Kneel down and place your wrists on the mat, so they are directly underneath your shoulders; ensure that your knees are directly underneath your hips.
• Inhale as you look up and let your stomach drop down towards the mat, while you arch your spine.
• Exhale as you tuck your chin into your chest, drawing your navel towards your spine, and curving your spine as though hollowing your navel area.
• Continue this fluid movement for at least a minute, inhaling as you look up and exhaling while you look down.

Child Pose – Balasana

Benefits of child pose:

• Stretching: Child’s pose gently stretches your spine, thighs, hips, and ankles.
• Relaxing: Along with deep breathing exercises, child’s pose can calm your mind, reducing anxiety and fatigue.
• Improves blood circulation: Child’s pose can increase blood circulation to your head.
• Improves digestion: The light compression on your stomach in this pose can activate digestion.
• Tension relief: Child’s pose can release tension in your lower back muscles, chest, hamstrings, and shoulders.

How to do the child pose:

• Kneel on the floor with your toes together and your knees hip-width apart.
• Rest your palms on top of your thighs.
• Exhale, lower your torso between your knees. Extend your arms alongside your torso with your palms facing down.
• Relax your shoulders toward the ground. Rest in the pose for as long as needed.

Plank Pose

Benefits of plank pose:

• Strengthens the core: Plank strengthens the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis (deep core stabilizing muscles), and the internal and external obliques (hip and back mobilizing muscles).
• Improves metabolism: The muscle strength and mass that could be attained through plank pose offers stronger and more defined muscles along with a faster metabolism.
• Reduces back pain: As the abdominal muscles become stronger, the body becomes less dependent on the overuse and overextension of the back muscles. Instead, your body resorts to the now stronger core for everyday activities and exercise, which reduces pain in the lower back.

How to do the plank pose:

• Lie on your stomach; now place your hands directly under your shoulders and lift yourself up so that you are now balanced entirely on your hands and toes, forming a plank.
• Tuck in your core muscles and squeeze your glutes to stabilize your body.
• Neutralize your neck and spine by looking at a spot on the floor about a foot beyond your hands. Your head should be in line with your back.
• Hold the position for 20 seconds, making sure that your body is straight and doesn’t dip down nor bump up.

If you are suffering from chronic back pain, then first get medical help.

Pratimoksha offers customized Yoga therapy sessions for chronic musculoskeletal issues. These sessions have helped many resolve their chronic issues and move on to regular Yoga courses.

Pratimoksha – Yoga Therapy in Dubai

Enlighten Yoga Center Pratimoksha provides Yoga Therapy in Dubai for chronic neck, back and shoulder issues as also insomnia and various stress-related conditions. The therapy sessions combine therapeutic exercises with Yogic disciplines resulting in the physical and mental wellbeing of clients.

Call @ 050-395-5613 or write to transform@pratimoksha.com to find out more about how Therapeutic Yoga can benefit you.