6 Simple DIY Exercises for Back Pain Relief
Back pain flare-up? Sometimes you need to keep moving, like by doing these exercises for back pain relief.
(Follow along in the video below or keep reading!)
When you get a flare-up it might make you feel hesitant or even scared to move but you’ve got to keep moving. This is a great opportunity to listen to your body and piece together what it needs. Tensing up at the indication of back issues is what causes more spasms and nerve pain. The best thing to do when we feel that tension is gentle movement. (This is why so much of what I do — including The Mobility Method — focuses on mobility!)
Learning how to do gentle movement is really simple and you don’t even have to get on the ground to do it. Try it from your bed!
If you’re worried about the onset of back pain, or if a flare-up has already begun, try this simple six-part stretching exercise series to find relief and get moving again. You can either do these together as a flow or break them up and do them individually.
Remember: Practice these back pain exercises gently
What we’re doing isn’t about intensity or agitating the nerves. As we start to get our bodies moving, it helps to release the tension that is built up in the back. Everything in the body is connected by our nervous system.
6 Exercises for back pain relief: 1. Start in Tabletop position
Come into a quadruped position (also known as a Tabletop) and make sure your alignment is healthy. Hands are beneath shoulders and hips stack over the knees. In this position you don’t need to worry about any action happening in your back or even abs – know that you’re entirely supported by your arms and legs.
From here we’re just going to breathe. Focus on sending your breath into the back. Relax the belly as you breathe in and allow the ribcage to open up. As you exhale pull the belly towards the spine. Keep breathing with these physical cues. In through the nose and out through the mouth.
As you continue to breathe and create space in your back you should notice that you’re beginning to relax and feel a bit better. Once you feel ready, move into a mini Cat-Cow, introducing some mobility.
2. Gentle Cat-Cow
As you breathe in, allow the belly to drop, and as you exhale softly round the spine. Ease into this segment by keeping your movements nice and gentle. You can gradually increase the movement but we’re always avoiding pain. If you start to feel anything unpleasant, decrease the intensity.
3. Child’s Pose and/or 4. Baby Cobra
If it feels good to go all the way into flexion (this is when your back is lifted and rounded) go ahead and release back towards your heels as your arms stretch forward. This is Child’s Pose. Take ten slow breaths here. Focus on sending that breath into the back and lower ribcage.
Now, if you felt like you had too much pain and couldn’t move into flexion during Cat-Cow, but you felt good when you released the belly, then try coming onto the stomach and propping yourself up on your elbows. Almost like you’re setting yourself up for Cobra. Listen to your body and find what feels good. Maybe you can prop yourself up on the elbows entirely, or maybe you need to bring your chest lower to the floor. The goal here is to create an extension that feels good. Breathe in this position for 10 breaths.
5. Leg extensions to release the nerves
Roll onto the back and gently lift one of your legs. Wrap your hands around the back of the thigh and relax the leg allowing your hands to hold its weight. Now, you’re going to gently extend the leg up and down. This might be enough for you, but if you want to add more, you can flex your toes toward your face as you glide the foot up and relax the toes as you release the leg back down.
Alternate legs and do 10 extensions on each side. With this exercise, we’re focusing on the nerves that extend all the way down from the back to the foot.
6. Easy supine twist
After you’ve done 10 extensions on each side, take a bent leg and cross it to the other side of your body, knee towards the floor, creating a slight twist for the lower back. You don’t need to go too far in this stretch. Just gently encourage a twist and release. You want to feel a stretch in the active leg’s glute as well. Only go as far as you are comfortable. Hold there. Keep breathing and when you’re ready repeat on the other side.
Stand up slowly and carefully
Be very mindful of how you end this series of stretches and get up from the ground. Come to lay on your side and use your hand to help prop you up into a seated position. From there come into a kneeling position as you use the wall or chair (anything stable around you will do) to continue aiding you as you come to standing. Take it nice and slow, focusing on keeping the back straight and aligned.
Understanding your body and preventing further back pain flare-ups
When dealing with back pain, the best thing you can do is stay mindfully in motion. You don’t have to wait until you have a flair up to do these exercises either! The best way to prevent a back pain flare-up is to stay ahead of it.
Remember that these exercises are for the beginning stages; they will ease immediate pain and reduce symptoms but continuing to learn about your body is key to figuring out where flare-ups are coming from!
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