Total 5 min, back exercises you do at home to relieve back pain and stiffness.

Do you experience stiffness and pain in your back? It might be due to tight back muscles that align your vertebrae and attach to your hips. Try these exercises as your daily morning regimen and see the difference it makes...

Child Pose- with movenment

1st Exercise Child's Pose/ with movement coming in and out of the pose

Make sure your elbows don't touch the matt or floor and as you push your palms into the floor try to lengthen your hips towards your heels, make sure your knees are open wide enough to give you room to get a good stretch in your lower back and hips

Do this exercise as a dynamic stretch- that means with movement with each breath. 

1- start with hips right over knees and shoulders right over wrists,

2- open knees wide and walk your hands forward, away from you, pushing palms into floor, TAKE A DEEP BREATH

3-and draw your hips towards your heels of your feet. Don't let your elbow touch the fllor but draw your chest towards the floor and rest your forehead on the mat.

TAKE A DEEP BREATH

4- come back up and repeat 10-12 times

*Transition between each movement through your breaths

Cat Pose/ transitioning back into cat pose through breaths

Cow Pose/ transitioning into cow pose through breaths

2nd Exercise Cat & Cow

It's important to not hold the stretch to long. The more you move throughout this exercise through your breaths with control the more range of motion will increase and loosen up any tightness.

1- as you do cat, keep your hips over your knees and shoulders over your wrists. with an inhale pull your hips in, rounding your back and shoulders, pushing your palms into the ground, tucking your head in between your shoulders. Exhale

2- inhale transitioning into cow, drawing your hips back (sticking butt out), with still keeping hips over knees, allowing an exaggerated curvature in your lower back (lumbar spine), while pushing your palms into the floor, drawing your shoulders back, depressing (drawing down) your shoulder blades, opening your chest,  while keeping arms straight. Exhale

Repeat 10-12 times

*transition with each full breath, allowing your body to relax in the stretch, lengthening (drawing) and opening your body increasing mobility and loosing up your tense muscles.

 Core exercise- Bird Dog

3rd exercise Bird Dog

This is a great core strengthening exercise. It also is great for those who suffer from lordosis.

I want you to think of really connecting with where your belly button is and have it draw towards your spine, pulling in all your pelvic wall muscles (muscles used in doing kegels) when doing this exercise.

1- knees are hip width apart stacking your hips right over your knees. Shoulders are stacked right over your wrists.

2- tighten core and pelvic wall muscles as you lift, shoulder height, your arm and lift hip level, the opposite leg. Imagine a string attached to your foot pulling you towards the direction your foot is aiming and a string attached to your wrist pulling your arm in the direction its aiming. Try to keep hips square to the floor. You dont want to lift your hip with the leg that is in the air. Head should be elongated, forehead facing the floor.

Hold position for a count of 5 and switch.  Repeat the same with each side 10-12 times 

Do this exercise series every morning as soon as you get up. It won't take a lot to do, or try at least consistently squeeze it in your day. It will make a difference, improving your life!

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a complimentary consultation, call 760-658-4708. Mention this blog. Thanks.