Nowadays, back pain is a very common problem for people of all ages, especially middleaged females. It often occurs due to stress and weak back muscles.
Yoga can reduce stress, strengthen, and improve the flexibility of the spine and back muscles. We will discuss different yoga poses in this article.
1. Triangle Pose
Through this asana, we can bend the body to the right and left. This pose strengthens our muscles and bones and reduces back pain.
Stand straight with equal weight on the feet, neck, and head straight, gaze forward, and breathe normally.
Keep two and a half to three feet of space between the feet. You can keep more space according to your height, but the feet must be parallel.
Raise both hands on either side of the body along the shoulders, with palms facing down.
Bend the whole body to the right and try to touch the right foot with the right hand. The body should not bend forward or backward.
Focus on the upper arm and hold for 10 to 30 seconds.
Now, stand straight.
Do the same on the left side, staying on the left side for the same amount of time as the right side.
Practice this pose for 30 to 60 seconds each round, 3 to 5 times daily.
2. Cobra Pose
This gentle backbend stretches your abdomen, chest, and shoulders. Practicing this pose strengthens your spine and may soothe sciatica. It may also help to relieve stress and fatigue that can accompany back pain.
Muscles worked:
hamstrings
gluteus maximus
deltoids
triceps
serratus anterior
To do this:
Lie on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders and your fingers facing forward.
Draw your arms in tightly to your chest. Don’t allow your elbows to go out to the side.
Press into your hands to slowly lift your head, chest, and shoulders.
You can lift partway, halfway, or all the way up.
Maintain a slight bend in your elbows.
You can let your head drop back to deepen the pose.
Release back down to your mat on an exhale.
Bring your arms by your side and rest your head.
Slowly move your hips from side to side to release tension from your lower back.
3. HalfLocust Pose
Lie on your belly, with the chin on the floor, legs together, and arms alongside the body, with palms down.
Rock the hips from side to side to walk the arms underneath your body, so that the forearms are on the inside of the hip bones and the hands are under the thighs.
Inhale and lengthen the legs, reaching the toes away from your body. Pull up the kneecaps, squeeze the buttocks, and engage mula bandha. Press the arms down into the floor and slowly lift the legs up towards the ceiling.
Breathe and hold for 25 breaths.
To release: exhale and slowly lower the legs to the floor. Turn the head to one side, slide the arms out from under your body, and rest.
