FitSugar

Running Tip: Stretch and Strengthen Your Back

FitSugar — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 04:00:00 -0700

Life taxes the human back and spine. After working with so many clients with lower and upper back pain, I sometimes wonder why we ever stood up as a species. It is truly important to keep your spine both supple and strong. Here is a great series of yoga poses to increase both flexibility and strength. Just click on the link to learn how to get into each pose.

Standing Forward Bend - You can keep your feet together or have them separated so they're under your hips. Just let your torso and head hang, and you can bend your knees slightly to bring more of the stretch into your lower back.
Take a vinyasa to the ground and come into Cobra. Be sure to keep your shoulders relaxed away from your ears and lift your head as high as you can to lengthen through the spine.

Want to see the other stretches? Then read more

Now stand on your knees so they're directly under your hips and come into Camel. If you want to take this pose even further, try doing Advanced Camel using an exercise ball. After you're done with this pose, take a counter pose for your lower back by doing Child's pose.
After stretching your back, take a vinyasa to Down Dog and do a Jump Through so you're lying on your back. Bend your knees and come into Half Wheel. After five or more breaths, repeat this pose, or...
Come all the way up into Full Wheel. Work on bringing your hands and feet a little closer towards each other to increase the stretch even more. Then after five to ten breaths, slowly drop onto your back, hug your knees into your chest and rock over your spine from side to side.
Sit up and release your lower back with a Seated Forward Bend.

Fit's Tips: This is a great sequence to do all at once, but ease into it if your back muscles are tight. It may also feel better on your back to do Child's Pose in between each back stretch.

Source

Hit the Hay: Knee to Chest Back Stretch

FitSugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:15:25 -0700

After a stressful day at work or a night out on the town, it may be difficult to rest your mind and body enough to get some shuteye. I like to stretch in bed to inspire calmness, and if you liked the spinal twist bed stretch, here's another one that will target the muscles in your lower back. It's not only great for bedtime; I also like waking up and doing this stretch.

For details on how to do this stretch keep reading

Treadmill Stretch: Upper Back and Shoulders

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:45:00 -0800

Even though running primarily works your lower body, you can still end up with a tight lower back and tense shoulders. After running on a treadmill this back stretch feels great! It's just nice to support your upper body and let the tension release.

While standing on the treadmill, make sure the machine is OFF. Now place your hands on the front readout or bar. Walk your feet back so your legs, arms, and spine are as long as they can be.
Now lower your head between your arms, but make sure your shoulders are drawing back toward your hips.
Stay like this for 20 seconds or as long as you like.
To feel a release in your lower back, tilt your tailbone up towards the ceiling and bend your knees slightly. Stay like this for another 20 seconds.

If you run outside you can try this back stretch variation at your kitchen sink or try it with the back of a park bench.

Stretch It: Easy Back Stretch

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:00:53 -0700

One thing I have learned from my years as a Pilates instructor is most folks don't twist enough. The spine likes to rotate. Here is a simple back stretch that feels great after running. It also lengthens the inner thighs and opens the shoulders too.

For written instructions on how to do this stretch, just read more.

Stand with your legs open to the side with about two to three feet between your heels. Point your toes slightly outward.
Bend your knees over your toes, and place your hands on the insides of your knees. This will help keep your knees aligned with your ankles and toes. You back should be almost parallel to the ground.
Push your right hand gently into your right knee, as you bend your left elbow to twist to the left. Look over your left elbow. Hold for 15 seconds then switch sides.

I love this stretch since it requires no props and since you're not lying on the ground, you can do it anywhere.

Stretch It: Grounded Wide Squat

FitSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:00:32 -0700

When my lower back is sore from running or sitting all day, a Low Squat is just what I need to stretch that area and get relief. Here's a deeper variation that will also open your hips.

For instructions on how to do this stretch read more.

Sit on the floor on a mat, rug, or carpet.
Bend your knees so they are slightly wider than your shoulders. Plant your feet slightly wider than your knees, with your toes pointing out to the sides.
Lower your torso in between your knees and place your hands on the floor. If you're more flexible, place your forearms on the floor. Relax your shoulders away from your ears and try not to let your feet slip away from your body.
Stay here for 30 seconds and then sit up to release.

Try it and tell me if you like it.

Stretch It: Upper Back and Shoulder Stretch

FitSugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:00:00 -0700

After all those push-ups and side-arm raises you do, I'm sure your shoulders and upper body could use a nice stretch. This one is really easy to do, and it targets your upper back instantly. All you need is a sturdy chair with four legs. If you're at work or sitting just on the couch, why not give this a try?

To find out how to do this stretch read more.

Sit on the very edge of a chair. Separate your feet so your knees are a little wider than your shoulders.
Lean your torso forward and bring your arms inside your legs. Wrap your hands around your calves and try to reach your fingertips in front of your ankles.
Use your hands to gently pull the torso though your legs to open your shoulders and stretch your upper back.
Hold there for 30 seconds then lift your torso up to a seated position.

Stretch It: Knee-to-Chest Stretch

FitSugar — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:45:00 -0700

The knee-to-chest stretch is a great way to stretch out the muscles of your lower back. This is one of my favorite back exercises because it feels so good. Here is how you do it:

Lie on your back with your knees and hips bent and the backs of your heels flat on the floor.
Slowly pull one knee to your chest as far as you can - you should feel a stretch in your lower back.
Keep the opposite leg relaxed in a comfortable position, with your leg extended (shown) or you can bend your knee if that feels better).
Hold for 30 seconds and then repeat with the opposite leg.

Stretch It: Fetal Position Back Stretch

FitSugar — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:45:00 -0800

This simple stretch can really help with lower-back pain as well as reduce tight muscles in your lower back (and hamstrings). If you ever do a tough session on a Roman Chair, you'll definitely want to stretch out your back. I like to call it the Fetal Position Stretch because you'll look like you're in the fetal position when you're in mid stretch. Here's how you do it:

Lie on your back with your knees bent.
Slowly hug your knees to your chest until you are in the fetal position.
Hold for 30 seconds and repeat as needed.

Source

Low Back Pain? Try Stretching Your Hip Flexors

FitSugar — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:38:51 -0700

After doing a sprint interval workout, my running buddy complained that sprinting often made her low back feel tight. I had a notion that her psoas might be tight. This muscle is a major hip flexor and it attaches to the low spinal vertebrae. When the psoas gets short and tight from activities like sprinting, it can yank on the vertebrae, creating a sensation of tightness. The good news is that stretching out the hip flexors can alleviate a lot of lower back pain. Once you are warm, and especially after a run or sprinting session, you should stretch your psoas.

Learn two ways to stretch your psoas.

Stretch Those Tight Hips and Lower Back

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 04:00:00 -0700

Chances are if you are reading this, you have the ever popular "office job" that involves sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day. This can wreak havoc on your precious body creating tight hips and lower back pain. Many stretches for your hips also stretch out your lower back, so these poses are like 2 for the price of 1.

If you can, try and take a break during work to do this hip and lower back stretch sequence. Go through the sequence on one side and then start from the beginning and do the other side. All these yoga poses have been explained previously, so if you want to know how to get into them, just click on the link.

1 - Sit on the floor, bend your knees, bring the soles of your feet together (take off your shoes) and come into Butterfly. This pose is great because it stretches both hips at the same time. Press your elbows against your legs to feel more of a stretch in your inner thighs.

To feel the stretch in your lower back, start to lean your chest out forward and walk your hands out in front of you. Stay here for 5 or more breaths.

Want to see the rest of the sequence? Then read more

2 - Now swing your left leg back behind you, keeping your right leg in front. This is called Pigeon and it's probably one of my favorite poses. It feels great on your lower back and you can really focus on working one side at a time. This is great considering one hip is usually much tighter than the other (usually your non-dominant leg).

This pose feels so amazing to me that I like to hang out for a few minutes on each side to really concentrate on deeply opening my right hip. If you don't have much time, then you can just do 5 breaths.

3 - Now ever so slowly and gently, swing your left leg in front of you, bringing your left inner thigh against the sole of your right foot. Lean your chest straight over your left leg, and walk your hands out towards your left foot, coming into Head to Knee pose.

Try and keep reaching your forehead out towards your left foot, elongating your spine. Relax your shoulders away from your ears and stay here and breathe for at least 5 breaths. This pose works your hips, lower back, and hamstring.

4 - For the last pose called Double Pigeon, keep you right knee where it is and bend your left knee. Stack your left ankle on top of your right knee, and your left knee on top of your right ankle. You want your shins to be parallel, with the left on top, and if you are doing it right, when you look down, you'll see a little triangular shape that your legs have made.

Try to keep your ankles and knees stacked one on top of the other and flex your feet. Stay seated and if it feels okay, bring your hands out in front of your shins and start to walk your hands out. Stay here for 5 or more breaths, relaxing your shoulders and the muscles in your face.

Now you're ready to do the other side. Come back into Butterfly once again and see if you can get a little deeper into the pose. Then keep your left leg where it is and swing your right leg back, coming into Pigeon. Then move into Head to Knee pose, and then Double Pigeon. After this sequence, your hips and lower back will thank you.