Try Adding These Stretches To An Exercise Routine To Help Prevent Back Pain

There can be many causes of back pain.  However, back pain that comes on after movement or after a night’s sleep may be because your muscles are short and tight.  Simple stretches can be incorporated into any routine to help back pain. 

Benefits of Stretching:

• • Increases flexibility
• • Increases range of motion around a joint
• • Helps heal and prevent back pain
• • Provides stress relief and has a calming effect on the body
• • Can help you fall asleep faster and improved quality of sleep

There are many forms of stretching.  However, just doing about 5-6 stretches for about 30 seconds each can provide increases in flexibility.  However, don’t expect results immediately, as, with any program, it takes time and consistency to achieve the best results.

Try these stretches, and see us for more!

Standing Hamstring Stretch

1. Stand in with your hips square to a chair or sofa
2. Place one heel on top of the chair or soft
3. Hinge forward from your hips and think about opposing your hop and heel

Watch For:

• • Bending from your back
• • Slouching your shoulders
• • Not having your hips square

Standing Figure Four Stretch

1. Cross one ankle over your knee and flex that same ankle.
2. Sit back as if sitting in a chair and placing your hands on your support.
3. Allow your hip to suspend, and think about making your hips “wider.”
4. For an added challenge, bring your chest forward towards your support.

Watch For:

• • Keep your hips square
• • Slouching your chest forward

Standing Back Stretch

1. Standing with your body square to a support.
2. Please your hands on top of your support.
3. Hinge at your hips and keep your legs under your hips.
4. Reach your arms long all the way down to your tailbone.
5. Add flexion/extension of your spine for some spinal mobility.

Watch For:

• • Rounding your back
• • Having your hops behind your knees

Standing Side Bend

1. Stand with your support by your side hip.
2. Place your hand on your support.
3. Bend to the side from the bottom of your rib cage and reach your arms by your cheekbones.
4. Anchor the leg of the stretching side into the floor.

Watch For:

• • Slouching
• • Use the support to keep both sides of your torso elongated
• • Letting your arms reach too far behind you

Lying Hamstring Stretch

1. Lie on the floor with a strap/belt/towel.
2. Place the towel around the foot.
3. If your back is tight and sore, keep your non-stretching leg bent.
4. Straighten your leg and use your strap to gently pull the leg into a stretch.

Watch For:

• • Arching your back
• • Feeling the stretch behind your knee and bend it if you need to
• • Sore neck – place a towel behind your head