Suffer from low back pain? These yoga exercises will help stretch and release the lumbar spine, and help prevent lower back pain and tightness.
Cobra pose
This stretch targets full targets full extension of the spine, neck, shoulders and chest.
How to
With your hands placed underneath your shoulders, press into the floor and lift the chest.
Remember to keep the abdominal muscles switched on with this stretch to avoid any pressure on the lower back.
Straighten the arms fully while lifting the torso off the mat.
Demonstrated by KX Barre instructors Sophie Cunningham and Rachel Fraser.
Cat stretch
Feeling stiff? The cat stretch is a great exercise to increase flexibility in the lower back.
How to
Kneeling on hands and knees, exhale to curl tailbone under to round the spine and stretch lower back; inhale to return to flat back.
Add rotation: Thread right hand under the left arm and rotate torso to the left, return to start and reach right hand to ceiling and rotate to the right.
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Trikonasana (triangle pose)
This yoga pose helps alleviate stress in the low back as well as stretch the legs and waist while keeping energy up by strengthening the legs and core.
How to
Take a wide stance with legs straight. Keep the back foot parallel and front foot facing forward.
Lengthen the waist and bring your front hand to the shin or floor and top hand to the sky.
Keep the waist long, legs straight but not locked and core engaged. Repeat on other side.
Collin Poole, senior yoga teacher, Kaya Health Clubs.
Photo credit: Kaya Health Clubs.
Wide-legged forward bend
Great for lower back tightness, this yoga posture benefits the body by stretching the inner and back of the thighs while also stretching and releasing the lumbar spine, relieving mild back pain.
How to
Start with taking your feet wide apart and parallel, push down through your feet and fold forward with as much of a bend in the knees as you need. Place your hands on the floor directly underneath your shoulders so the spine is still long.
Inhale to lengthen the spine, move the left arm under your face; as you exhale, open your right arm up and reach the fingertips towards the ceiling. You can hold here for a slow breath or two and on the next inhalation lower the right hand to the floor under your face and repeat on the left.
This variation can be treated as a flow, moving with slow, conscious breath from side to side.
NOTE: If you have a back or spine injury, only perform this posture with a teacher around. If you have tight hamstrings or lower back, you can bend the knees or lift the floor by placing a stack of books under your hands.
Photo credit: Ren Pidgeon, Model: Phoebe Waters
Lizard pose (Utthan Pristhasana Variation)
Supple hips can ease back pain and increase circulation to the legs. Hip openings also allow us to let go of the stress and negative emotions that we store in our hips, creating tightness and discomfort.
In the case of disc problems, only practise hip openings with a yoga teacher.
How to
From downward facing dog, step your right foot to the outside of your right hand, lining the edge of the foot up with the edge of the mat and drop your left knee. You can either stay up on your hands or drop down, placing your forearms on the ground for a more intense variation.
Photo credit: Ren Pidgeon, Model: Phoebe Waters
Adho Mukha Sukhasana –
Downward facing comfortable pose
This pose opens the hips, inner thighs and stretches the whole back of the body. Forward folds compress/massage the abdominal organs, which can be good for assisting digestion.
On a subtle level, forward folds are a great way to facilitate a sense of quiet, calm and relaxation and can therefore lower blood pressure, help fatigue and relieve tension headaches.
How to
Placing both sit bones evenly on the floor, cross the legs at the shins. If your knees are higher than your hips, prop yourself up by sitting on a few pillows. Inhale and lengthen through the spine and as you exhale, walk your hands out front of you, folding your body over your legs.
Once you have found your comfortable position, close the eyes and take slow, conscious breaths in and out through the nose, letting go a bit more with every exhale.
Photo credit: Ren Pidgeon, Model: Phoebe Waters
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