You're not alone if you're feeling the strain from back pain. Research shows that 23% of the global adult population suffers from chronic lower back pain. The good news is that some stretching can help ease your symptoms and prevent the issue from worsening. Of course, it's also a good idea to check with your doctor to rule out any back injuries or health complications.
Once you're in the clear, here are some back stretches to try for yourself.
Grab a Mat to Do Your Stretches Anywhere
Before you get started with your stretches to improve posture and reduce back pain, grab a ready-to-go mat to help get your body moving from anywhere. Our foldable travel mats are premium quality, lightweight, and perfectly portable.
All of our mats are eco-friendly, vegan, and perfect for hot yoga, at home-fitness, outdoor fitness, and more. They're just 1mm in thickness when you fold them up, making them easy to tuck into your purse or bag. Enjoy a microfiber suede top and spritz the non-slip surface to increase its grip to suit your needs.
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1) Partial Crunches
Partial crunches are similar to half a sit-up but only targets your abdominal muscles. Get comfortable and keep the lower half of your body connected to the floor for the duration of your exercise. As you perform the crunch, don't strain and lightly lift your head and shoulders off the floor. Make sure your chin doesn't move toward your chest.
2) Mini Cobra
If you've ever taken a yoga class, you've probably already tried the cobra pose to stretch and move your body. But you can do a simple baby cobra pose to eliminate the strain on your back. Here's a video for beginners to follow along and master this back stretch.
3) Reverse High Five
The reverse high-five is easy to do from anywhere to help loosen up a stiff back or sore muscles. Stand tall and shrug your shoulders towards your ears and slowly relax them back down.
Next, turn your palms to the wall behind you and press your hands back like you want to give someone a double high five. You can do your repetitions in ten pulses to maximize this back stretch.
4) Chest Opener
Chest openers are great for your upper body and your back. Stand with your feet comfortably apart and put your arms straight out in front of you with your palms pressed together. Slowly open your arms on both sides and stretch your head lightly backward as if you want to look up at the ceiling before bringing it center again. Make sure not to strain your neck; this is supposed to be a gentle exercise.
5) Side Plank
Side planks help you activate your obliques and gluteus maximus to stabilize your hips. It shouldn't put any pressure on your lower back or neck.
Lie on your side with your legs extended and stacked on top of one another from your hips to your feet. Your elbow should lie directly under your shoulder. Keep your head directly in line with your spine and lay your other arm along your body comfortably.
Next, engage your abdominal muscles, and keep your navel aligned with your spine as much as possible. Lift your hips and knees up from your exercise mat while exhaling and hold the position. After a few breaths, you can return to starting position and repeat five times before changing sides and repeating the exercise.
Supercharge Your Stretches with a Resistance Band
If you want to take your back stretches to new levels, pair them with a resistance band. Our premium fabric resistance bands are comfortable and soft with a trigrip design that creates an anti-slip barrier. With medium to heavy resistance, you can choose the band you need and tote it around with the included mesh carrying bag.
Next Steps
Ready to maximize your back stretches with the best accessories? Browse our entire selection of the best floor discs for women, cooling towels, exercise mats, foldable travel mats, resistance bands, and more to empower yourself to succeed.
