Back Stretch Basics

We can’t emphasise enough how good stretching is for your body. There’s no stretching the truth that without it, our muscles shorten and become tight.

Stretching really needs to happen every day in order to allow our muscles to stay strong and flexible. It increases mobility in our joints AND you don’t need to be a yoga expert to reap the benefits.

Our chiropractors are sharing their go-to back stretching sequence. This is an absolute minimum routine you should integrate into your daily life.

Hold these poses for anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds.

Cat-Camel pose

This is a gentle warm-up designed to bring flexibility and release tension in the spine. Start from a tabletop position, on all fours with your shoulders directly above your wrists and your hips above your knees.

Begin with Camel pose

• Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, round your spine, bringing your chest and pelvis down and inwards.
• Allow your neck to release your head toward the floor. This should be a passive movement, don’t force your chin to your chest.
• Inhale and come back up.

Transition into Cat pose

• Take another deep breath in, dipping your back as you inhale. Lift your chest and buttocks to the ceiling and allow your belly to sink down towards the ground.
• At the same time, lift your head and look straight forward.
• As you exhale, slowly release the position and return to cat pose.

 

Extended Puppy Dog

This stretch really targets your shoulders and spine.

• Just as with the cat-camel pose, start in a tabletop position.
• Slowly walk your hands out in front of you, lowering your chest towards the floor.
• Drop your forehead to the ground.
• Inhale deeply and as you exhale, feel your spine lengthen.
• Consciously extend further from your hips to your hands.
• With every breath relax deeper into the pose.

 

Knees to Chest

This soothing stretch releases tension in the lower back & fully relaxes the body. It’s great to finish-up on!

• Lie on your back and bring your knees to your chest.
• Hold for about 20 seconds.
  • Progress into the two following sequences:
    – Gently rock from side to side
    – Then rock back and forth, bringing your knees into, and away from, your chest.