How To Increase Back Flexibility

When we exercise, we should give special attention to our back. Our spine is full of joints that perform the important function of supporting our whole body. As a result the spine can suffer from many problems like pain due to improper posture or sudden movement.

The main aim of back exercises should be to increase the flexibility of the back which includes the spine and the back muscles. This helps to ease pain one faces while bending or doing any other back movement. Proper and regular back exercises also help the body to maintain a good posture while standing, walking and sitting.

Warm Up Before Stretching

While doing back exercises, one should be very careful. The most important precaution is that you should not do any exercise suddenly. Stretching exercises help to increase flexibility of the back bone and muscles. But before you start your back exercises, you should do some warming up. This will help to loosen your back muscles and prepare them for the stretching exercises.

When you perform exercises to increase your back flexibility you should exercise the entire back – from the neck and shoulders to the waist and hips. A lot of people suffer from pain and stiffness in the back neck. This is generally experienced after sitting or standing in one position for a long time – for instance sitting in front of the TV or computer. Over a period of time this pain builds up and can even lead to serious problems like spondilitis which can cause severe and prolonged headaches and head reeling. One of the best precautions for this common problem is doing back exercises regularly so that the neck and the spine remain flexible.

Learn Back Exercises From The Internet

Some common exercises which can be performed by everyone for the wellbeing of the back include stretching the neck both ways, forward and backwards, stretching and rolling the shoulder muscles, and bending sideways, forward and backward at the hips. Apart from these common exercises there are many specific ones which can be done to focus on a particular region on the back. For instance, if you suffer from stiffness and pain in the neck region, there are certain specific exercises of the neck and shoulder which can give you relief in very little time. You can learn about these exercises from a physiotherapist or from the internet.

While stretching your back and the other areas, you must also always follow some rules. Never overstretch your back muscles i.e. stretch only to the limit that your body allows. You can understand that you have reached the maximum limit when you feel a slight pull in the muscle that you are stretching. Also back exercises should never be done in a hurry. Also while doing the exercises you must alternate the stretches with small relaxing exercises like lying flat on your back. These help to bring the muscles back to the previous position before you start the next exercise.

Back Exercises Reduce Friction In The Spine

Stretching exercises for the back has many advantages. They improve the back’s flexibility so we can bend and carry out the other functions smoothly. Also the joints in the spine remain flexible so there is no friction between them when we move the spine, which can otherwise lead to severe pain. If you have never exercised your backbone or back muscles you must start light warming up and stretching exercises immediately. Also it is important to exercise and relax the neck, waist and hips if you sit in one position for too long. It is advisable to change the position and do some light stretching movements on the back, which can be done sitting in your chair. These prevent the back muscles from becoming stiff and painful.

You can increase your back flexibility at any age but you must remember to do the exercises gradually and under the supervision of a doctor.

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Written by HealthStatus Team
Medical Writer & Editor

HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our blood alcohol, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years. Our team of health professionals, and researchers use peer reviewed studies as source elements in our articles. Our high quality content has been featured in a number of leading websites, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, Live Strong, GQ, and many more.

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