Stretching That Is Easy on the Back

An aching back is a pretty common occurrence -- the National Institutes of Health estimates that a quarter of American adults suffer at least one day of back pain in any three-month period. Sedentary lifestyles contribute to poor spine alignment, short, tight muscles and lack of flexibility and that puts you at higher risk for back injury. Regular simple stretching can counter a stiff spine without stressing your back.

  1. Warm Up First

    • Add stretching to all your workouts but don't neglect your prep time. Lengthening a cold muscle could lead to a strain or tear, so warm up with some light aerobics before back stretches to increase blood flow to your muscles and increase your range of movement. Remember to breathe and don't bounce. Breathing into a stretch relaxes tense muscles and holding a gentle stretch for 10 to 30 seconds lengthens them. Ballistic stretching -- bouncing to increase the stretch -- can actually lead to injury and is best avoided. Unkink your desk-bound back by reaching high overhead, lacing your fingers together and stretching up and slightly backwards. Aim your hands towards the ceiling and your shoulder blades toward the floor to loosen your upper back.

    Back Boosters

    • Take a few minutes each day to stretch your spine before you work to strengthen it. MayoClinic.com recommends some easy moves that are no pain, all gain. Start on the floor, lying on your back with knees bent, feet flat. Pull one leg at a time into your chest with both arms. Do right, then left, then both and repeat two or three times. Return to knees-bent, feet-on-the-floor position and then keep both knees together, shoulder blades on the floor as you roll knees to one side, twisting at the waist and holding a deep knees-to-floor stretch for about 30 seconds. Roll legs back up and over to the other side, feeling the twist in your waist and lower spine.

    Hamstring Helper

    • Tight hamstrings can throw your lower back out of alignment and contribute to upper back and shoulder rounding. Protect your back by focusing attention on your abs and thighs in a controlled, seated forward bend. Sit on a mat or the floor with legs extended, feet flexed and back tall. Relax your shoulders as you contract your core muscles and extend your arms to the front at shoulder height. Reach for your toes without collapsing your back or disengaging your abs -- don't worry if you can't touch your toes. Feel the stretch in your hamstrings and move slowly into the forward bend and back to upright five to 10 times. The stretch will deepen naturally over time as your hamstrings lengthen and the contracted core strengthens your lower back.

    Yoga Poses

    • Yoga offers many gentle poses to stretch and counter-stretch the spine. Try Cat-Cow on your hands and knees to arch your back up like a hissing cat and then reverse the move, lifting your tailbone and your head to form the slumped back of a cow. Breathe evenly as you smoothly transfer from arch to curve, feeling the release in your spine. Cat-Cow lubricates and sends nutrients to the spongy disks between back vertebrae to keep your spine supple and healthy. Downward-Facing Dog targets the upper back and shoulders as you stretch strongly from heels to hinged hips, down a straight back and through the extended arms and hands. The entire back of the body is stretched, from ankles through calves, hamstrings, glutes, lower and upper back and arms. Pressing the palms into the floor and the hips back helps to keep the back aligned in the pose.