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Stretch
Your Back
Years of slouching on soft sofas,
sleeping on softer beds and maintaining bad posture while walking or sitting
leads to back aches at best and compressed discs at worst. However, spending
as little as five minutes a day on stretching your back can make your back
stronger, more resilient and supple. These exercises will also help improve
your posture, helping you walk straighter and look better. While it would
be great if you could work them all into your schedule, you don't have
to. Just pick one and get started!
Place your hands on your buttocks,
as if placing them inside your back pockets, with thumbs jutting outwards.
Bend just around five inches backwards and hold this position for thirty
seconds. Repeat three times, and do this around five to six times a day.
Keep your legs shoulder width apart,
and bend forward to touch your toes. This should ideally be done without
bending your knees, but if you must, you could bend them a little initially.
Slowly, work up to touching your toes keeping your knees unbent, then gradually
try to touch the floor.
Lie on your back on the floor or
mattress. Bend your knees and tucking your hands under them, bring them
towards your shoulders. Lift your shoulders slightly so you touch your
head to your knees. This stretches your lower back.
Sit up and keep your legs straight
out in front of you. Lift your arms up to straighten your back, and slowly
bend forward without bending your knees. Try and touch your calves, and
if that is not possible, reach for your knees. Hold to the count of 10,
and release. This gets your back used to stretching. Gradually, work up
to holding your calves, then touching your toes, and finally, touching
your head to your knees as in the Paschimottanasana.
After you have stretched your back
forwards, it helps to stretch it backwards. Turn over and lie down on your
stomach. Place your hands by the side of your waist, palms on the floor
and elbows up, and slowly pull yourself up from the waist till you straighten
your hands. Do not lift your legs up, only your upper body. Face up, and
push drop your head as far behind as you can, stretching your neck. Feel
the stretch in your spine. Hold this position to the count of ten, and
gradually lower yourself.
Here's a great stretch for your upper
back. All you need is a wall, which should be easy to manage. Stand at
arm's length from the wall, and place your palms on the wall. Slowly inch
your fingers upwards and keep leaning forward without moving your feet.
Hold to the count of ten, and inch your fingers down again. Repeat.
These stretches can be performed
at any time of the day, and some of them don't even require you to have
an empty stomach - unless you are doing them all together. As you make
your way through a busy day, try to work in a few stretches every now and
then. The effort is minimal, and the benefits, tremendous.
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