If your days involve lots of sitting, your back probably often feels stiff. You may be developing rounded shoulders or a hunched back. You may also be suffering lower back and hip pain. Prolonged sitting weakens the back and hip extensor muscles, causes compression on the lumbar vertebrae and the sacroiliac joints.
A herniated disc or bulging disc has become a common problem among the desk-job population as well.
These gentle back exercises cover all planes of movement of the spine and targets back and hip extensor muscles. Practicing daily will strengthen your back and hips, relieve pain, increase spinal flexibility and improve your posture. These are simple and totally modifiable exercises. You don’t need any fancy equipment, all you need is a firm surface and enough space for your body full-length (outstretched) in any area; you can even lay down on your office floor to do them if you are eager to do them anywhere. Follow the tutorial video and read on for further detailed instructions.
1. Cat Stretch
Purpose: loosen the back muscles and create space between vertebrae. Start on all fours; knees under hips, hands under shoulders.
-Inhale, prepare…
-Exhale, flex spine, drop the head, tuck tailbone under, pull belly in and up toward the ceiling.
-Deep inhale, stay… feel muscles between the ribs expanded
-Exhale, lengthen spine through neutral…
-Inhale, extend spine (arch slightly), lift the chest, slide shoulders away from the ears, reach tailbone back.
Do 5-10 repetitions.
Modifications for knee problems: support with extra cushions under knees; worst-case, do the movement while standing with your hands on a chair or table.
2. Scapula Protraction & Retraction
Purpose: works muscles surrounding the shoulder blade areas. Start on all four; knees under hips, hands under shoulders.
-Inhale, protract scapula–push the floor down while lifting the chest up, widening between the shoulder blades.
-Exhale, retract scapula–arms are still extended, with control glide shoulder blades closer toward each other.
NOTE: your arms should be extended but not locked (keep the creases of the elbows facing in toward each other and NOT facing forward).
Do 10 repetitions.
Modifications:
-For sore/weak wrists or hyperextended elbows: same set up as above but on forearms (elbows).
-Lack of shoulder strength to be on all four, do the same exercise while standing with hands on the wall in front of shoulders.
-For more advanced: try with both legs straight back in a full-plank position. Be sure to keep the core engaged throughout the movement; avoid arching of the back or sinking at the hip.
3. Breast Stroke-Preps
Purpose: strengthen upper-middle back areas. Start in prone position–lie on stomach/belly. Your body is in a straight line, nose hovering 1 inch over the mat, shoulders relaxed on the mat, legs together parallel and actively pressing down on the mat, belly button pulled in (to protect the lower back from overworking).
-Inhale, gently lift the shoulders from the mat (small retraction–same movement from previous exercise), lift the head and chest up, lift the arms and reach down toward the feet. Look straight in front on the mat.
-Exhale, release — return to starting position.
Do 5 to 10 repetitions.
Modifications:
-For folks who feel compression on the lower back area: place a thin folded towel under the hip bones – under the navel area and keep legs at hip-distance apart.
-For more advance, place hands under forehead, elbows are wide, shoulders lengthened away from the ears. As you are extending the neck and upper-middle back, bring hands along.
4. Swim
Purpose: target all the back chain muscles—back extensors, gluteus maximus, and hamstrings. Start in the prone position, lie on your tummy, arms extending overhead at shoulder-width apart, legs parallel hip-width apart, nose hovering 1-2 inches above the mat.
-Exhale, press right arm and left leg down on the mat as lifting the left arm and right leg up (opposite arm and leg).
-Inhale, release the arm and leg down.
-Exhale, switch arm and leg, press left arm and right leg down on the mat as lifting the right arm and left leg up.
-Inhale, release the arm and leg down.
This completes the first repetition. Do 10-20 repetitions.
NOTE: As you press your opposite arm and leg down, core muscles should automatically engage. As the leg lifts, it should be completely straight (lock the knee). Gluteus/buttocks should be working to lift the legs.
Modifications:
-Lower back pain, place a thin folded towel under the navel area (same as in previous exercise).
-Tensed shoulders/neck, omit the arm movement. Instead, rest the hands under forehead.
-For the more advanced: Hover arms and legs in space while swimming, without lowering the legs all the way down on the mat. Only attempt this when you don’t experience lower back compression. You should also be able to keep the abdominal muscles engaged and both legs straight throughout the movement. Body rocking side-to-side is a sign of the lack of core engagement.
5. Spine Twist
Purpose: improve rotation of the spine. Start in sitting position with a neutral spine, shoulders lengthened away from your ears, arms extended straight to either side at shoulder height. The leg positions vary from person to person—legs can be extended straight out in front if flexible or crossed, or sit on a chair if necessary.
-Exhale, pull abdominals in and up as rotating spine (at the waist) toward one side, keeping arms extended wide.
-Inhale, return to center.
-Exhale, pull abdominals in and up as you rotate your spine toward the other side.
-Inhale, return to center.
That completes 1 repetition. Do 5 to 10 repetitions.
NOTE: It is especially important to incorporate the movement with the breath during this exercise. Use forced exhales during the twists. Consciously pull your belly in and up; think of growing taller and making the waistline as small as possible.
Modifications:
-For tight hips and/or lower back, try a different sitting position (listed above).
-Tensed shoulders/neck when holding the arms up and out, try arms in genie position (folded and stacked in front of shoulders) or surrender position.
-Challenge the mid-back more, place hands in front of forehead. Make sure shoulders are stabilized and lengthened away from ears.
-Rotate in 3 counts: Exhale, rotate spine. Inhale, release just a little. Exhale, rotate further and further. Inhale, return to center.
6. Side Stretch
Purpose: improve lateral flexion of the spine, stretches lateral flexors, increase lung capacity.
Start in a comfortable sitting position with a neutral spine, arm down and slightly out from either side of hips.
-Inhale, reach right arm toward sky, left hand supporting on the mat.
-Exhale, flex spine toward the left, keep right arm straight and lined up with right ear. Left arm should bend now with shoulder pulled down away from the ear.
-Inhale, hold the stretch, feel muscles between the ribs expand…
-Exhale, stack the spine to return to center.
-Inhale, switch arms–reach left arm up, lengthening through the left side of the body…
-Exhale, flex spine toward the right.
-Inhale, hold the stretch…
-Exhale, stack the spine to vertical position.
That completes 1 repetition. Do 3 to 5.
Modifications: for tight hip and back, try different leg positions, or sit at the front of a chair.
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