Six Stretches to Help Your Stiff Back Feel and Move Better
The causes of back discomfort are complex, but frequent sitting or staying in one position for too long may be some of the modern culprits. If your back feels stiff and not flexible enough (especially in the upper back), try these stretching exercises from the flexible guys at GMB Fitness.
As noted in the GMB article:
Back pain or stiffness isn’t necessarily a sign of injury, but it is a signal to your brain that something is happening that it doesn’t like.
The video above explores a procedure that essentially relaxes your back and helps you move better, while more efficient movement also contributes to increased performance in the gym. Here’s an overview of six back stretches:
- Extension on the stomach : while lying on your stomach, lean on your elbows and lift only the upper back from the floor, squeezing the shoulder blades together. Be careful not to strain or strain your lower back.
- Wag your tail: you are lying on your hands below your shoulders, and your knees are behind your hips. Lift your legs off the floor and wiggle from side to side, keeping your back straight. The movement basically consists of bending from side to side, using your knees to turn.
- Quadrupedal Bend: This is similar to the yoga child’s pose where you kneel, bend forward and extend your arms and hands in front of you. However, here you also bend 45 degrees to each side to stretch your lats.
- Quadruped torso rotation: This can be difficult for people with low shoulder and upper back flexibility. Start in a kneeling position, place one hand behind you like a chicken wing, place your hand on your lower back and pretend to point your bent elbow towards the ceiling.
- Half a pancake: Sit on the floor and extend one leg to the side and press the other against your body. Slowly tilt your torso towards your outstretched leg.
- Squat A-Frame: This combines multiple movements and can be quite advanced. You start out pretty much from the dog’s downward position. Just focus on keeping your arms and back straight, even if you can’t keep your legs straight. Then sit down, pause and return to the dog down, keeping your hands on the ground all the time.
Of course, never try to get rid of pain if it arises. For more information on each exercise follow the link below. And if you want exercise demonstrations, click the play button in the video above.
6 Back Stretches to Improve Spine Mobility and Movement | GMB Fitness