Yoga For Back Pain.

Did you know that a majority of people experience back pain? Learn more about our free yoga for back pain videos and tutorials below.

Enjoy these free tutorials & mini routines for back pain relief and for back pain prevention.

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Yoga For Weight Loss

Restorative Yoga Stretches

In this video we show you how to do restorative yoga stretches for runners and athletes for post workouts cool downs and rest days. Created for avid

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Evening

Benefits of yoga before bed

When you stretch out your body at the end of the day it helps release the tension from the day. Even just doing a short,

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Yoga For Athletes

Mini sequence for beginners

 We created this video for a quick sequence to stretch and build strength in your hips and shoulders. We start the video touching on

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Yoga For Back Pain

Back Pain Relief

 A reclined twist can help get rid of back pain or prevent it from happening. While in this position make sure to keep both

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Yoga For Back Pain

Tips to prevent back pain

Back pain can happen to anyone. We want to help you get ahead of it, so we put together some tips and classes to prevent

What Can Cause Back Pain?

The truth is that there are numerous reasons why a person might experience pain in the lower back. Let’s take a look at the most common causes of lower back pain in order to understand the best ways to treat it.

Soft Tissue Injuries- The soft tissues of our bodies include muscles, ligaments, tendons, and fascia. The majority of back pain is actually due to muscle injuries. This can cause muscle spasms in the back which are very painful. Any soft tissue damage in the back can result in varying levels of pain depending on the severity of the injuries.

Poor Posture- Our posture is incredibly important to keep in alignment. When our spines are not properly aligned, they can lose their natural curve. This can result in pressure being placed on the wrong parts of the spine which can cause the discs to bulge or even rupture. Poor posture can affect mobility and can make everyday activities uncomfortable.

Tight Muscles and Joints- Our lower backs and hips are very much connected as well as affected by one another. If the ligaments of your hips are overly tight, this can put strain on the lower back. The hamstrings and muscles of the back are also connected. If your hamstrings are overly tight, this can increase strain in the lower back.

Medical Conditions- Back pain can also be caused by conditions that are common as we age. Osteoporosis and arthritis are two examples of medical conditions that can cause pain in the lower back as well as many other areas in the body. Conditions like scoliosis can actually change the curve in the spine, causing a lot of pain. You should always consult with a doctor before using yoga to help with lower back pain if it is due to a medical condition.

How Yoga Helps Back Pain.

Relieving VS Preventing Back Pain- There is a difference between relieving and preventing back pain. Let’s say you are sitting in your office and your back is hurting, so you take an ibuprofen to reduce your discomfort. This might help in relieving pain in the moment, but it would not assist in treating the actual source that is causing it. Yoga, on the other hand, actually helps to prevent back pain in the long run by targeting the source of it.

Strengthening and Stretching the Muscles for Back Pain Prevention- Yoga teaches specific poses and movements that can aid in the reduction of back pain. Yoga helps to increase mobility and flexibility in the hips, and hamstrings, providing relief for the lower back. When practicing yoga, you can both strengthen and increase flexibility in these muscles. In addition, yoga can increase strength in the glutes and core, allowing for more support of the back while improving posture. 

Flexion VS Extension Based Pain

There are two types of back pain that we will take a look at here that can be caused by improper posture. These are flexion and extension based pain. By understanding the difference between the two, it becomes easier to learn more about your personal back pain cause and how you might be able to work on it.

Flexion Based Pain- Flexion is the decrease of an angle in the body. We can use the knee as an example. When the knee is straightened, this is flexion. When considering the back of the body, flexion can be seen when the natural angle of the back is decreased through rounding the back. A person might be experiencing flexion based pain if they tend to walk with a rounded back.

Extension Based Pain- Extension is the opposite of flexion. It is the increase of angles. If we were using the knee as an example here, bending the knee would increase the angle. This is extension. When looking at the back, extension would be seen when increasing the angle of the spine, like when you are doing backbends. A person might be experiencing extension based pain if they tend to walk with a deep arch in the back and the hips pressing forwards.

How Yoga Helps with Flexion and Extension Based Pain.

When it comes to flexion vs extension based pain, yoga can help with both. Different poses and routines are specifically designed to assist you with correcting posture. 

Yoga for Flexion-Based Pain- If you are suffering from flexion based pain, then your yoga practice will probably include more back bends to stretch the back in the opposite direction, bringing in the natural curve of the spine. Poses like child’s pose or camel pose would be helpful here.

Yoga for Extension Based Pain- If you are dealing with extension based pain, yoga can help with stretching and rounding the back to help decrease the curve of the spine. Poses like bow pose or cobra pose would be good options here.

How Long Do You Have to Stick With Yoga to Reduce Lower Back Pain?

How Often to Practice

While everyone is different with how often they should be practicing yoga, having an ongoing practice is usually best for everybody. This is why it is good to keep your yoga practice going if you can. If you are not able to keep practicing, then doing yoga for at least a few weeks will have some results. In order to see real, faster results, you will want to have at least twenty minute practices a few times a week for at least two to four months. 

Why You Should Keep Practicing

The problem is, when you stop doing yoga, if you go right back to your old habits and routines, you might revert back to how you were before, finding that the back begins to hurt again. However, if you use your new yoga habits to avoid reverting back to old routines, you might be able to get away with maintaining your back health. For example, if you were to use mindfulness techniques that you learned in yoga to be aware of how you are holding your posture, you might be able to avoid reversing your progress. If you were to use strengthening techniques to integrate into your other exercise routines, this might allow you to keep your back healthy as well. 

Best Body By Yoga Programs for Beginners With Back Pain?

Body By Yoga offers a variety of yoga programs for you to choose from. Our Better Back Yoga is our best program for back pain. It involves three practices that are twenty minutes long, and a free ten minute class as well. Our first class focuses on stretching while our second and third are themed to help with flexion and extension. Our bonus ten minute class aims to help with immediate back pain relief. If you want to check out this program, click here!

Better Back Yoga is designed as a complete yoga system for back pain with three 20 minute yoga sequences. For best results, use the program at least three to four times per week. For best results, alternate between the stretching routine and the strengthening routine every day.

When people seek out yoga for beginners, back pain is a consideration that isn’t always accommodated, especially in a group class setting. The fact is, attending a regular class can actually make back pain worse if no modifications are made to certain poses. That’s why we’ve created a specific program of beginners yoga for lower back pain and upper back pain sufferers. This combination of classes is perfect for beginners who want to relieve pain, improve flexibility, feel stronger and more stable, and eventually progress to other yoga programs. Because our programs are available on demand, you can go at your own speed and ease into these exercises to avoid injury. We also offer a wide range of instructional videos and blogs about back pain, including what causes it and how you can fix it fast. Cure your back pain for good with our comprehensive yoga program. 

 

⚠️ WARNING!⚠️

We want to keep you safe!

Please consult your physician, assess your fitness level, and follow all safety instructions before beginning any exercise program, nutrition plan, and/or using any equipment.

Body By Yoga provides a variety of exercise programs, some of which are physically demanding and high-intensity in nature. For this reason, you must listen to your body, use common sense, take breaks, and hydrate as needed to avoid injury. If at any time you feel any discomfort, pain, dizziness, light-headedness, shortness of breath, or nausea, stop exercising immediately and consult your physician. Incorrect or excessive training can result in serious injury or death.

When doing any outdoor workouts or activities, be aware of your surroundings and avoid anything that could hurt you or disrupt your exercise, especially when walking or running in public areas such as sidewalks and streets.

If you have any unique or special medical conditions, such as if you’re pregnant, have diabetes or asthma, or if you have a history of knee, ankle, hip, shoulder or spinal (back or neck) problems, you must consult your physician to understand all potential risks and complications of using our exercise programs, nutrition plans, and/or equipment, and receive approval from them to proceed before beginning. Failure to do so could result in significant injury to you and others (including, if applicable, your unborn child). By engaging in any exercise program, nutrition plan, and/or using any equipment, you assume all dangers, hazards and risks of injury or death.

SAFE USE OF EQUIPMENT

FITNESS EQUIPMENT PRESENTS HAZARDS WHICH, IF NOT AVOIDED, COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH

Certain programs may utilize equipment, such as yoga mats, yoga blocks, yoga straps, chairs, foam rollers, and other equipment which, if not used correctly, could lead to serious injury or death. Carefully review all safety, care and use instructions and manuals prior to beginning.

For your safety, you must:

Use any equipment shown in the workouts only as demonstrated, using proper form.
Inspect any equipment for wear or damage prior to each use and refrain from using any equipment that appears damaged, worn or defective.
Keep children, pets and any other obstacles away from equipment and exercise area at all times.
Always use a secure, proper, and stable anchor for any equipment that requires hanging or attaching.
Always exercise caution during use of any equipment to make sure you do not lose your grip or control, such as making sure your hands are not wet or sweaty.
Ensure exercise bands are firmly secure and assembled to prevent slipping, snapping, recoiling and injury to yourself or anyone else.
Ensure your workout bench and pull up bar is stable, strong enough to hold your weight and does not move during use. If you do not think you can safely perform exercises with your bench or pull up bar, or you do not have the proper equipment, you should do the modifier exercises instead.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Body By Yoga and its parent, affiliate, and subsidiary companies will not be liable to any person or entity for any injury, death, damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by any exercise programs, workouts, nutritional supplements or plans, equipment (including without limitation the Body By Yoga mat and Body By Yoga blocks), advice or any other products, services or materials.

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