How Yoga Can Save Your Back

Japanese say that a person is healthy as long as their back is healthy. You have to admit that we don’t think about this part of the body very often, or, rather, only when something hurts. Luckily, yoga can easily fix that, and not only that.

A feeling of heaviness can occur due to long walks or, conversely, immobile hours spent in the workplace. This condition can be alleviated with creams or massages, but to finally eliminate this pain, there is no better practice than yoga.

Through yoga, we can cope with discomfort much better. During the practices, you work on flexibility and endurance, engaging the whole body. As a result, circulation improves, pressure in the lower extremities is reduced, and fatigue and swelling are relieved. Exercise is effective and suitable for everyone.

The time of day at which it is best to practice yoga depends on how you feel. Short morning practice will help if you want to feel better during the day, and an evening workout will let the body recover.

Why the Back Is So Important  

Chances are, you’ve heard about the spinal column once. The spinal structure acts as a pillar that keeps our bodies from succumbing to gravity and breaking all our lives. So for our inner core to not wear out and function as it should, in addition to the simple activity, we need to additionally strengthen and stretch it – yoga can help with that.

Warming Up  

To begin with, you should start all internal processes, stretch out, and get the lymph and blood circulation flowing so your body is ready to go. Try to perform this workout cyclically because it is suitable for everyone, regardless of age and flexibility. The main thing is to listen to your body: you should not feel pain or discomfort. For this purpose, try different variations of the positions.

For example, if you have not mastered push-ups yet, lie on your stomach or on the floor completely, or use your knees. And if in the “downward facing dog” position you cannot straighten your knees completely, it is also okay – bend them slightly, but at the same time strive for tension under the joint.

Which Yoga Style Is Better to Practice  

In today’s world, there are thousands of different kinds and author’s yoga techniques that ensure that each new system is better than the previous one. But I am one of those people who believe that yoga is one. There is a base, which is worth learning, then all the different levels become clear and similar to each other. The most important thing to remember forever is that doing any of the disciplines intermittently will never bring the desired results for long, only for a period of time. The brain quickly returns you to your usual form if it is not nurtured.

Where to Start 

The best thing I can advise is a systematic approach. Regular training two or three times a week will do much more good for your body than an out-of-context effort interspersed with six months, a year, or even a few months. Think of yourself as a child – you learned to walk, eat, read and brought each activity to automatism just by daily repetition. Of course, you might think, where do I get the precious hours for that? Here I suggest checking your phone’s screen time and realizing that you could spend those five or six hours you spend on social media doing yoga. Maybe try some activity instead of scrolling through Instagram for the thousandth time?

Back Muscle Strengthening  

After a good warm-up of the entire structure, you can begin to strengthen your back. The exercise below will help stimulate the foundation of the muscles that hold your spinal column together. The most important thing in the process is to keep your neck tight and your head down.

Let the top of your head stretch forward, and your forehead look to the floor. Try to tuck your buttocks in the up position, and as you come down, relax every cell of your body. The transition from tension to relaxation is a major factor in healthy body function.

Halasana  

Halasana, or the plow pose that many people love, is one of the most beneficial positions for our backs. It is the most relaxing and restorative posture, not only after a hard day’s work but also after any physical activity. Important: do not shift the whole body weight on the cervical spine. Your feet will help you in this – guide your heels back behind your head. If it is unpleasant pulling under the knees, just bend them a little, but do not stop stretching.

To Wrap It Up 

Before beginning a new workout routine, always consult with your doctor, especially if you’re prone to back pain. However, once you’ve been given the green light, start practicing yoga and notice how your pain simply disappears. Good luck!