Does your back hurt when you lean backwards or reach upwards? Try these 4 poses for relief!

If you feel a gripping, seizing, and/or aching sensation in your lower back after prolonged periods of standing, when you try to lean backwards, or reach up to grab something, then you might find these 4 yoga poses helpful in relieving mild tension.

For those of you who regularly wear high heels, stand on your feet for extended periods of time, have an exaggerated arch in your lower back (lumbar lordosis, or more commonly, “sway back”), or are pregnant (which also causes an exaggerated arch and pressure on the lower back), this type of lower back pain may feel familiar to you.

When you wear heels, you are put into a position where you have to tilt your pelvis, causing your lower back to arch more and your buttocks to protrude outwards more. While this silhouette may have a sexy appeal, it is definitely not friendly on your poor lumbar (lower) spine.

Even if you are not a regular heel-wearer, you may unconsciously throw your shoulders back, lift your chest up, which causes the lower back to arch more, as an effort to course-correct the slumped forward, “bad” posture.

In this “sway back” posture, your lower back ends up being more compressed and your abs are disengaged. This imbalance in the front and back body can ultimately create strain on the lower back that is exacerbated when you try to move into positions that may cause your lower back to arch more (e.g., reaching upwards).

The 4 poses above are gentle, accessible poses that you can do daily to help release some of the mild lower back tensions.

Lower Back Massage

With the back firmly supported by the floor, and your legs gently moving in and out away from your torso, this allows a nice massage for your lower back and sacrum.

Start on your back and slowly bring your knees in to your chest. If you’d like, you can place a pillow or thin, folded blanket under your head. Relax your knees, legs, and hips as much as possible, so that you are using mostly your arms to hold your legs in these positions.

As you inhale, straighten your arms and guide your knees away from your body. Keep your legs relaxed. Exhale, bend your elbows and bring your knees in to your chest. Repeat 4-6x, or more.

HAMSTRING STRETCH

When you are constantly standing in sway back positions, all the muscles and tissues on the back side of your body can all become tight. Therefore, this hamstring stretch can help relieve tension in your lower back as well.

Keep your right foot on the floor as your bring your left knee in towards your body. Hold the back of your left leg, or you can also hold onto the fabric of your pants. As you inhale, stretch your leg upwards towards the ceiling and flex your ankle. Exhale, relax your leg, bend your knees, and use your arms to hug your left knee in to your chest. Repeat 4-6x. Make sure to do the other side!

CAT COW FLOW

This is similar to a regular cat-cow stretch, but with the added bonus of stretching the hips back towards the heels to create more decompression for the lower back.

Start on your hands and knees. As you inhale, gently arch your spine and lower your belly towards the floor; gaze ahead. As you exhale, slightly round your back and stretch your hips towards your heels. It is okay if your hips don’t come all the way down to your heels. If the arching is uncomfortable on your inhales, then stay in a neutral position (no arching). Repeat 4-6x or more.

LEGS ON CHAIR RESTING POSE

This is an all-time favorite amongst my clients and myself. After some gentle release and movement, resting down with your back and legs supported can feel incredibly blissful.

Find a chair, coffee table, or ottoman to rest your legs over. Make sure you can bring the back of your knees all the way against the edge of that furniture (there should be no space between the back of your knees and the furniture). Lie down onto the floor. You can rest your arms by your side of over your belly. You can also place a pillow under your head. Stay for 3-5 minutes, or more.

More resources

You can explore more tailored therapeutic practices like these inside my Sacred Nurture Video Library, a curated on-demand streaming library to help you elevate from depletion, stress, and chronic pain. This library is mobile-friendly and searchable according to length of practice, specific tailored body areas, and benefits. I invite you to try it out!

And if you’re specifically looking for lower back care, then consider my mini course: 3-Step Strategy For Resolving Lower Back Pain. This mini bundle includes 3 video practices that takes you through the 3-step strategy I use with all of my private clients to resolve their lower back pain with success.