10 Ways to Stretch and Strengthen Your Lower Back (In Less Than 10 Minutes)

"Most mild low back pain-especially the generalized, non-specific type of low back pain that seemingly happens out of nowhere-can be eased through stretching and prevented by strengthening the muscles of the back and core. An abundance of research supports yoga as an effective modality for chronic low back pain, and additional evidence suggests yoga can be as effective as traditional physical therapy for reducing pain and restoring function associated with some back injuries."

"Not only that, yoga can improve your core strength, flexibility, and body awareness, each of which can potentially lessen lower back pain and help prevent you from experiencing a relapse. The muscles of the core include the superficial and deeper muscles of the abdomen, spine, and pelvic floor. These help stabilize and support the spine so you can find proper alignment."

"But slouching, failing to engage your core when you're exercising or performing functional everyday activities, and using poor lifting mechanics by leaning over and bending your back rather than squatting down and using your legs to pick up an object can all contribute to back injuries and chronic back pain."

"According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it's likely most of us will experience a bout of back pain at least once in their life. Approximately 90 percent of these cases falling under the umbrella of "non-specific lower back pain." That means there isn't a distinct or defined musculoskeletal injury underlying the issue. Yet you're still experiencing pain-and wanting relief. Hello, yoga poses for back pain."

Low back pain is common, with most cases classified as non-specific and lacking a distinct musculoskeletal injury. Mild non-specific low back pain can be eased through stretching and prevented by strengthening back and core muscles. Research supports yoga as an effective approach for chronic low back pain, and evidence suggests yoga can be comparable to traditional physical therapy for reducing pain and restoring function in some back injuries. Yoga can improve core strength, flexibility, and body awareness, which may lessen pain and reduce relapse risk. Core muscles stabilize and support the spine, and poor posture, lack of core engagement during activities, and lifting with the back instead of squatting and using the legs can contribute to back pain.

Read at Yoga Journal