No matter if you have a job where you sit a lot or if you are constantly on your feet: your back does a lot of work during the day. To keep it healthy, it is important to stretch and strengthen your back. Yoga exercises for the back allow you to do just that and also help if back pain has already crept in. Here are some simple yoga exercises for the lower back, shoulder and neck area and more!
Yoga exercises for the back: basics for beginners
First things first: yoga is always an individual matter. There is no "standard recipe", because what is good for one person may be unpleasant for another. This aspect is particularly important when it comes to balancing back pain with yoga or finding exercises for a straight back. So take your time and try out what works for you.
Exercises against back pain
Do you have back problems and want to do something about it with gentle yoga exercises? Then you should listen very carefully to your body during the asanas. If an exercise causes sharp or particularly intense pain, you should stop it immediately. If you have intervertebral disc problems, it is best to consult your doctor beforehand about which movements are good for you.
If you feel a pulling sensation in your back or some discomfort during the exercises, this does not automatically mean that you should stop. This so-called stretching pain is a normal and logical body reaction; after all, your body does not know the yoga movements from everyday life and first has to get used to them.
One last tip you should know about yoga for frequent back pain: avoid bending over too often from a standing position with a rounded back. This movement tends to be counterproductive for pain relief and also puts a strain on the intervertebral discs.
Exercises against hollow back
One speaks of a hollow back when the abdomen is arched forward, the pelvis is tilted forward and the buttocks are also clearly stretched backwards. This bad posture often causes pain in the lower back.
But how does this posture problem actually occur? It's simple: usually the hip flexors are shortened and the back muscles are stretched because you sit too long and always in the same posture. With a hollow back, the back is not the only area that needs to be strengthened. The inner abdominal and gluteal muscles, as direct counterparts, also need targeted strengthening training to stabilise the posture.
A yoga exercise that works well with the hollow back posture is the grasshopper:
- Lie on your stomach.
- Extend the arms straight out in front with the thumbs pointing towards the ceiling. Alternatively, you can bend the arms at shoulder height so that the palms are facing the floor.
- Extend the legs straight back.
- Now raise your arms, legs and head at the same time and look forward.
- Hold the position briefly, then slowly release and repeat the lifting movement 5-10 times.
Equally effective is the interplay of the cat and cow posture. We'll explain how to do this in a moment, but first let's look at an area of the body that can quickly become uncomfortable: the lower back.
Yoga exercises for the lower back
The following exercises relieve the lower back. This feels very pleasant after just a few moments. However, please make sure that the lower back remains connected to the mat at all times! With this knowledge you are ready for the following three asanas:
- Kneel on your mat and sit on your heels. With a forward bend, place your upper body forward until your abdomen rests on your thighs and your forehead touches the floor. Stretch your hands out in front of you and make sure your breathing is calm and even.
- Lie on your back with the right leg extended. Bring the left knee to the chest and grasp it with the bent left arm. If you wish, you can loosely grasp the left wrist with the right hand. Now consciously relax the shoulders and remain in this position for a few breaths. Then switch to the other side.
- Lie on your back and place the left foot on the mat so that the knee is bent. Now place the right foot on the left knee and grasp the left shin or lower left leg with both hands. Pull the left leg towards the chest and again make sure the shoulders are relaxed. Breathe in and out calmly and change sides when you are ready.
If you wish, you can move seamlessly from these yoga exercises to the postures that strengthen the shoulder area.
Back Yoga: Exercises for shoulders and neck
In this section we describe the shoulder bridge, eagle arms and a neck stretching exercise. Of course, this does not mean that the yoga repertoire is exhausted! If you have a bit of practice, you will quickly notice intuitively which movements are good for your arms and shoulders. In any case, you can start with these three exercises:
- Shoulder bridge:
You lie on your back with the soles of your feet on the floor. Your arms are parallel to your upper body. Crawl very slightly with the fingers towards the heels so that the shoulders move away from the ears. Now slowly raise the pelvis until there is an oblique line between the shoulders and the knees. It is important in this posture that the legs remain parallel.
- Eagle arms:
From the supine position sit in the lotus or cross-legged position. Take a moment to find a truly upright position. Now angle your arms to your sides at shoulder height and then bring them together in front of your face.
Bring the right arm over the left so that the elbows are crossed. Now you can either lean the palms or the backs of the hands together, whichever is more comfortable. Actively pull the elbows up once more and hold the crossed arms for a few breaths before slowly dissolving and changing sides.
Important: breathe into the back of your shoulders. With each inhalation you create width, with each exhalation you can consciously relax. If you want to additionally stretch your shoulders and back, pull your elbows towards your belly button.
- Lateral neck stretch:
Remain sitting upright and place the fingertips of the right hand loosely on the floor. Reach around the head to the right temple with the left hand and slowly tilt the head to the left while the right hand pulls slightly to the right. You should feel a distinct stretching effect in the side of the neck. Repeat this exercise on the other side.
Yoga as prevention: Stretching and strengthening with back exercises
Yoga exercises for the back can provide relief when you are in pain or tense. But they are also an ideal preventative measure, which is why we can only advise you to try strengthening and stretching exercises!
Example: Yoga exercise that strengthens the back muscles
Just 20-30 minutes of (back) yoga a day helps to improve posture, which in turn prevents back pain. An ideal strengthening exercise for the back and torso in general is, for example, the cobra:
- Lie on your stomach.
- Place the palms of your hands on the floor at about armpit height next to your torso and make yourself very long.
- Inhaling raise the upper body and look up. The pelvis remains on the floor.
If you prefer, you can lean on your elbows instead of your hands. It is also up to you whether you hold your breath briefly and lower it again on the exhale or stay in the position for several breaths before going back down.
Example: Yoga exercise that stretches the back
As mentioned earlier, we now come to a real yoga classic: thecat-cow combination!
- Cat: Get into quadrupedal position and arch your back upwards as you exhale. Press the chin towards the chest to create a real cat hump.
- Cow: Move in the opposite direction while inhaling and let the belly hang down while looking up.
You can do these two exercises alternately over and over again. If you like, you can of course also incorporate small variations and move slightly to the left and right, for example. Actually, there is only one rule of thumb for yoga for the back: listen to the signals of your body and look for exactly those movements that do you good. Your back will thank you, I promise. So just give it a try - have fun!
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