Five Yoga poses to reduce Low-back Pain
Ouchhh! Low back pain is a condition effecting 1 in 3 Australians. Yoga coupled with Chiropractic can be an effective way to reduce lower back symptoms and improve overall health.
To help make you more comfortable, here are my top five poses to reduce Lower-back pain.
1. Triangle
Take a wide stance with your legs, with your right foot turned 90 degrees to your left and your heels in line. With both legs straight, hinge at your right hip and reach forwards (same direction as your right toes) until you’re at your maximum sideways extension, then bring your right hand to your right shin/ankle, and your left arm reaches toward the ceiling.
Your hips should be square, and your shoulders should be stacked, left on top of right. You should feel this down your lower back and outer left hip area, depending on your body’s tightness.
Hold and breathe deeply for 10-20 seconds, then rise up. Change your feet so the left foot is turned out and the right foot is straight, and repeat that on the left side.
This is particularly good if you have tight QLs, or suffer from sciatic pain.
Triangle Pose
2. Ragdoll
Stand tall, and as you exhale start folding at your hips, with softly bent knees. Once you feel your belly connect to your thighs (you may have to bend more at the knees to make that happen), soften your upper body completely over the legs, and take a gentle hold of opposite elbows.
Feel that you’re “dangling”, and you may even like to sway the upper body gently from side to side. This will help to release compression in your lower back.
Recommended hold time of 30-60 seconds. Once you’re ready to come up, keep the knees bent and do so on an inhale.
Ragdoll
3. Cobra
Laying on your belly, with toes untucked, bring your hands underneath your shoulders.
Start to engage your legs by pressing them into the floor, squeeze your glutes, and then use your glutes, back muscles, core, and some arm strength to raise your chest away from the ground, on an inhale. Your arms do not need to straighten, lower the intensity by bending more at the elbows.
Draw your shoulder blades together to feel the front of the chest opening. Keep that engagement and hold for 10-20 seconds, breathing deeply, then on an exhale start to slowly, and with control, lower yourself back to the mat.
Relax with your forehead to the ground.
Cobra Pose
4. Child Pose
Starting on hands and knees, take your knees wider than your hips as you start to draw your sitting bones back onto your heels.
Make sure your toes are untucked. Your chest and rib cage should be able to pass between your knees.
Let your forehead rest on the floor, and let your arms lengthen in front of you. Allow your whole body to relax into the floor, and breathe naturally. If your forehead doesn’t reach the floor, use a pillow or cushion underneath it so it has something to rest on.
Stay as long as you like, it’s a great pose to rest and reset the entire spinal column.
Childs Pose
5. Pigeon pose
Whether you're suffering with tight hip flexors, glutes or sciatica, pigeon pose allows for maximal stretch in the pelvic girdle.
Coming from hands and knees, step your right foot forward as if you were going to lunge, but externally rotate the right hip/thigh and let your knee come to the floor, with your foot moving across to the left. Your shin should be crossing in front of you.
Lengthen your left leg back behind you, in line with that hip, and untuck those toes once you’re fully extended. Ensure both hips are square, so you’re not lifting either side higher than the other.
You can stay here using hands for support, come down to your forearms for a deeper stretch, or deeper still, come down onto your chest/forehead.
Recommendation is for 30-60 seconds, which will allow your muscles to release and fully embrace the pose.
So there you have it!
These exercises are ideal for improving mobility and optimising overall function of your lower back. For more information check out our Facebook and instagram today! Thanks for joining us :)
Sitting pigeon pose
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