Five fantastic exercises to give you a healthy spine

Back pain is no joke. Regardless of whether someone has a highly active lifestyle or is completely lazy, every one of us risks damaging our spine through our everday activities.
Luckily for you, we’ve found a few simple, but very effective exercises which are guaranteed to help you get rid of back pain you might experience.

1.

1. Get on all fours.
2. Now put one hand behind your head. The second hand should be extended in front of you and resting on the floor.
3. Bring your elbow down toward the floor.
4. Then rotate that same elbow up toward the ceiling.
5. Rotate your head in the same direction as your elbow.
6. Do this for 45 seconds to 1 minute, change hands, and repeat on the other side.

2.

1. Lie on your back.
2. Bend your right leg at the knee.
3. Stretch out your left leg above your head.
4. Grasp it with both hands under the knee, and pull it towards your torso.
5. Hold this pulling motion for 30 seconds.
6. Repeat this exercise twice for both legs.

3.

1. You can perform this exercise in a chair, even while working in front of the computer.
2. Bring your hands behind your head and spread your elbows out to the sides.
3. Focus on extending your upper back.
4. Lean back and stretch your spine.
5. Repeat this exercise each time you feel that you’re tired of sitting.

4.

1. Lean on the floor on your using your right knee and stretch out your leg behind you.
2. Your left leg should be bent at the knee.
3. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
4. Repeat the exercise with the position of your legs changed.

5.

1. Kneel on the floor with your hips back toward your heels. Your forearms should be on a foam roll (you can also use a pillow).
2. Round your middle back up and breathe in.
3. Start breathing out, and let your chest arch down toward the floor in an arc shape.
4. You should feel the tension in your mid-back. If you feel this in your lower back, move your buttocks closer to your heels.
5. Repeat 8-12 times, 2-3 times per day.

Once you’ve done all this, we promise you’ll fee great!

Photo credit: Vera Golubeva