Yoga Poses for Back Pain

Most of us experience back pain at some point in our life. It can be frustrating to deal with, especially when it sidelines us from our normal activities or workouts. Luckily, Chris is here to show you some gentle yoga poses for back pain you can use to get some relief. Depending on what type of back pain you have, you’ll want to pay attention to how your body feels in each pose—and of course check with your doctor—to make sure you’re doing what’s best for you.

You’ll start in child’s pose, which is one of the best yoga poses for back pain. Next, you’ll come into cat/cow pose, bringing your shoulders over your wrists, and your hips over your knees. Chris will demonstrate how to round your spine and then release the crown of your head away from the tailbone for cow pose.

After your cat/cow stretch, it’s onto downward-facing dog. Taking deep, full breaths here in downward-facing dog is a great way to not only open up your back but unwind and de-stress. After downward-facing dog, you’ll try superman pose, which is a great way to strengthen your back extensors which can sometimes be the culprit of your back pain. Extending all four limbs with your face down on the mat, you’ll then lift all four limbs at the same time, breathing in for a few counts before releasing again. You’ll then transition into drawing your knees into your chest and take a few deep breaths.

A final pose is windshield wiper pose, where you’ll rotate to one side and then twist to the other, extending your arms out to the side and giving your back another nice, long stretch. Chris will provide plenty of modifications for each of these yoga poses for back pain so you can always do what’s best for you and your particular pain. These yoga poses for back pain would be great to do first thing in the morning or before bedtime to really help alleviate that pain and stretch out your back. If you enjoyed these poses, check out our 10-minute yoga flow for back pain for continued relief as well as our Flowetry workouts for more great yoga poses.

All exercises you perform are your own responsibility and you perform them at your own risk. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider before starting any physical exercise, fitness or wellness regiments of any kind.