Back Relaxation Exercises: tips and techniques
In addition to strengthening and toning routines, it’s important to spend time on back relaxation exercises. This is because the back connects and supports weights that affect other parts of the body. Given that it’s so essential to our movements, it’s understandable how it’s often overloaded.
In reality, the back provides support for all our vices and excesses. Obesity, smoking, bad posture and even kidney stones are reflected in this part of the body.
Scoliosis is just the result of the wear that our torsos experience in daily life. With all this in mind, here are some effective back relaxation exercises for you to try.
Back relaxation exercises: stretching is fundamental
It’s very common nowadays to see people talking about the importance of stretching when we spend hours a day sitting. These exercises are quite simple: straightening the back, and stretching your arms and legs.
Beyond these practices, which tend to yield short-term results, there are more complex stretching routines you can try. The majority can be performed while you’re in bed or on the couch.
The goods news is that, over time, you’ll strengthen your back while improving your posture. As with all physical routines, though, the important thing is dedication and perseverance. If you can’t maintain consistency, you won’t get the same results.
A yoga-inspired posture
This exercise is perfect for relaxation. Start by kneeling and resting your back on your heels. Then, stretch out your torso and reach your arms out in front of you. To give you a mental image, this is similar to the position used in Muslim prayer.
The idea is that you start to use your legs for support, allowing your upper body to rest. It’s best if you perform this exercise on a firm, flat surface. If you can do it on the floor, so much the better.
Achieving proper posture using your arms
This is a basic exercise, but there is a certain degree of complexity. To do it, lie face down on your bed with your torso supported and your arms straight. It’s similar to a plank position, except the legs are totally relaxed.
The idea is that your arms remain firm while pushing down. The more force you exert, the more you will be working to straighten the back. If you’re tall, suffer from scoliosis, or have bad posture, it will require a bit more effort and it may hurt.
If you can do this for five to ten minutes, you’ll get great results in terms of pain relief. However, you should focus on improving your performance with this position.
Stretching while facing up
You can also stretch your back while on your back. The best thing about these positions is that they offer total support, thus allowing you to rest. The pressure you need to exert occurs in the extremities.
Start by lying face up with your body straight. Then, lift the upper legs and hug your knees with your arms. You can interlock your hands for support. The effort is similar to that of an abdominal routine.
At first, you can do this with both legs. Then, you should ideally work in a more localized way. In other words, keep one leg raised and hug it with your arms while you stretch the other. This will restore stability and straightness to the spine. Each repetition should last 10 seconds.
An Indian influence
Not all back relaxation exercises should be done in a resting position. There are stretching exercises you can do while maintaining a firm torso. The important thing is to sit with your legs crossed so that your weight is supported by your lower body.
From there, place your hands at the nape of your neck, with your elbows bent. Then, make slight lateral movements with the waist. This is similar to the kind of warm-up exercises we learned at school. For this particular exercise, keeping the back straight is paramount.
Using these routines, you can gradually improve your posture while releasing tension and pain. Over time, these practices will improve your quality of life. Back relaxation exercises are essential to dealing with the stresses of daily life.
