Find a stretching area where you have privacy and are unlikely to be surprised. Although unlikely, a jerking motion while stretching can hurt your back.
Pay attention to the way your lower back feels. It’s normal to feel light tension like you might feel in any other stretch. If you encounter any pain while leaning forward, stop immediately and try a different stretch.
Be comfortable–do not bend to the point of feeling pain. Do not bounce to get farther downward.
Because you’re staring at your feet, it can be tempting to try to touch them. Don’t do this - you can hurt your back by stretching it too far.
It may help to maintain your balance if you bend your knees slightly.
This stretch is great for people who already have lower back pain. It stretches the lower back along with supporting muscles in the hips and glutes.
You should feel a gentle stretch in your lower back, glute, and or hip. The lower back is a complex structure comprised of many intertwined muscles and nerves - improving hip and glute flexibility can have a positive effect on back pain. [4] X Expert Source David Schechter, MDFamily Medicine Practitioner Expert Interview. 15 July 2020.
To add a hip-flexing element to the stretch, use your hands to rotate your leg by gently pulling your shin across your body.
You should feel a light stretch in your lower back. You can fine-tune the stretch by making small adjustments in the way you arch your back. Because you utilise your abdominal and back muscles to arch your back, this stretch doubles as a core-strengthening exercise. It’s normal to feel a very light “burn” in the back and abdominals while performing this stretch.
Because of its core-strengthening properties, the cat-cow is a good addition to a well-rounded core workout.
Begin on all fours, with your hands slightly in front of your shoulders. Press back on the floor with your hands to lift your body into the air, straightening your knees as you go. Form an upward-facing V with your body, with your glutes as the highest point. If you can, try to press your heels to the floor for a great calf stretch. Hold the position for about twenty seconds, repeating several times.
Begin on all fours. Stretch your arms out in front of you, allowing your face to lower to a position near the floor. Gently sit back. Allow your glutes to rest just above your heels. As you ease back, feel the gentle stretch in your lower back. Hold this position for twenty to thirty seconds, repeating as needed.
Begin by lying face down on the floor. Stretch your feet back so that the tops of your feet are touching the floor. Place your palms on the floor at chest level. Pushing down with your thighs and hips, use your hands to slowly lift your upper body up. Continue to push your upper body up until you find a comfortable stretching point. Pull your shoulders back and keep your hips narrow through your stretch. Hold the stretch for fifteen to thirty seconds, repeating as needed. To add an extra back-strengthening dimension to the exercise, use your back muscles to assist your arms when you raise your lower body.
