Back Pain Exercises and Back Pain Relief Tips
Back Pain Exercises
Back Pain Exercises: Both Knees-to-Chest
To stretch your lower back
Note: Do not attempt this exercise if you have had a hip replacement.
Starting from the Basic Position, put your knees together, clasp your hands around them, and pull them towards your chest. If it's awkward to clasp your hands around your knees while you're lying in the Basic Position, raise your knees a few centimeters first and then clasp them. When you feel some resistance, pause. Then try to gently stretch your way past that level for 6 seconds. If you can't stretch any farther without pain, then just hold the position for 6 seconds.
Frequency: Week 1 - three repetitions of 6 seconds each; by the end of Week 2, six repetitions of 6 seconds each; by the end of Week 3, ten repetitions of 6 seconds each.
Advanced Version: Same as above except that you keep your knees shoulder-width apart rather than together and clasp a hand around each knee. With your knees apart during these back pain exercises, you'll be able to stretch farther than you can when keeping them together. Based on the experience of a survey, we recommend that you substitute this variation for the knees-together version after you can comfortably do all the exercises in the back pain exercises program.
If you've never done back pain exercises before, it may seem that bringing both knees to your chest does no more or less for back pain relief than the single-knee-to-chest exercise. Not so. When you actually perform these stretching exercises, you'll feel differences. And you'll discover that the differences will add new dimensions to your flexibility and suppleness.
To stretch your lower back
Note: Do not attempt this exercise if you have had a hip replacement.
Starting from the Basic Position, put your knees together, clasp your hands around them, and pull them towards your chest. If it's awkward to clasp your hands around your knees while you're lying in the Basic Position, raise your knees a few centimeters first and then clasp them. When you feel some resistance, pause. Then try to gently stretch your way past that level for 6 seconds. If you can't stretch any farther without pain, then just hold the position for 6 seconds.
Frequency: Week 1 - three repetitions of 6 seconds each; by the end of Week 2, six repetitions of 6 seconds each; by the end of Week 3, ten repetitions of 6 seconds each.
Advanced Version: Same as above except that you keep your knees shoulder-width apart rather than together and clasp a hand around each knee. With your knees apart during these back pain exercises, you'll be able to stretch farther than you can when keeping them together. Based on the experience of a survey, we recommend that you substitute this variation for the knees-together version after you can comfortably do all the exercises in the back pain exercises program.
If you've never done back pain exercises before, it may seem that bringing both knees to your chest does no more or less for back pain relief than the single-knee-to-chest exercise. Not so. When you actually perform these stretching exercises, you'll feel differences. And you'll discover that the differences will add new dimensions to your flexibility and suppleness.
