3 Simple Stretches for Back Pain

If you’ve ever had back pain, you may be familiar with that ‘rusty hinge’ feeling. You know when you feel as if your muscles are conspiring against you to stiffen you up and not let you bend Further than a few degrees? Or when the thought of being stretched on one of those medieval racks becomes ever more enticing.

Finding the right stretch to to ease this stiffness can be tricky, you end up contorting your body into all kinds of weird and wonderful positions just to find the sweet spot.

Here are a few of our favourites which we recommend to clients (and use ourselves) This combination of exercises will help stretch out your back, but also the muscles of your legs and hips which, if tight, can contribute to back pain.

Stretch to a point where you can feel it, but are not in pain. Hold for 30 seconds and then as you feel your muscles relax, increase the stretch a bit further for another 30 seconds or so.

Kneel on one leg, raise the opposite arm and rotate slightly towards the side of your supporting leg. For a greater stretch, bend to the side.

Sit tall with one leg outstretched. Bend the other and cross it over the other leg, keeping your foot on the floor. Use your arm to gently pull the bent keg into your body until you feel the stretch in your buttock.

Lie face up with one foot on the floor and use a band or towel around your other foot to gently pull your leg in towards your body, keeping your leg straight and hips on the floor.