Suffering from Back Pain? The Single Best Exercise For Lower Back Pain That Will Change Your Life!

It’s time to let you in on the single best exercise for lower back pain and the power of yoga for lower back pain management. You won’t believe the impact of particular yoga poses—doing gentle exercises that relieve your pain, improve back muscle flexibility, posture, and general well-being by reducing stress and tension.

Lower back pain can be such a debilitating issue for people around the globe.

The American College of Physicians recommends yoga as a first-line treatment for chronic low back pain.

If you’ve ever had any lower back pain you can empathize with those who have it on a daily basis.

What can I do about lower back pain?

It could be caused by our sedentary lifestyle, bad posture, herniated discs, muscle pain or other underlying issues.

Whatever the cause is, the first step is to get advice from a doctor.

Have all the checks you need to work out the root cause of all this pain and rule out anything more serious.

In the holistic world, yoga is a powerful treatment in giving you some relief for your lower back pain.

Let’s discuss the ultimate yoga poses needed to help you and some frequently asked questions too.

What Causes Lower Back Pain?

I know for myself, most of my lower back pain is caused by sitting unconsciously, hunched over at a computer all day. My lack of movement while sitting at a desk for long periods of time isn’t helpful either.

I know it, I feel it and I want to fix it…and I’m guessing you do too.

But obviously not everyone’s back issues are caused by this, many people have issues like sciatica, osteoarthritis or herniated discs.

Our lower back or lumbar region take’s so much of the weight of our upper body and is prone to stress and strain, making it more likely to result in pain and discomfort.

The Science Behind Yoga for Lower Back Pain

Yoga is an ancient practice that focus’s on holistic healing for the body and your overall well-being.

It helps us manage the physical and mental issues related to back pain.

Improving Flexibility

Yoga gives us a number of poses that help to strengthen the muscles around the spine and back.

Regularly doing these exercises wil help to relieve any tension or stiffness you have in your back.

Better Posture

We all know that sitting all day is not helpful for our posture and it can create an achiness in your back, neck and shoulders.

Yoga poses focus on better posture and brings your awareness to your posture and spine.

These can help us to develop yoga habits to correct our posture and spine in general.

Less Stress

Don’t we all know that feeling of having a work deadline and just feeling our body tense up at the thought of it.

Chronic pain is often linked to stress and tension.

Yoga gives us the techniques we need to be more relaxed, mindful and therefor have less stress in our bodies.

Strengthen Core Muscles

Lots of these poses you will notice we say squeeze your core muscles, these are the supporting muscles for the back.

The more you can do poses that improve your core muscles, the better support your back has, the less pain you have.

The Single Best Exercise for Lower Back Pain

Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)

Many yoga poses can do wonders for your lower back pain, we believe that the Bridge Pose is the ultimate pain reliever.

The pose targets many different aspects of lower back health, which make it our number one solution for pain relief.

How to Perform Bridge Pose

1. Lay on your yoga mat on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart.
2. Put your arms by your sides, palms facing down.
3. Inhale and lift your hips towards the ceiling, keeping your knees directly above your heels.
4. Press down through your arms and shoulders while keeping your neck and head on the mat.
5. Hold the pose for 30 seconds to one minute, breathing deeply.
6. Exhale as you slowly lower your hips back to the mat.

Why Bridge Pose Works

Strengthens Core and Lower Back Muscles

In the Bridge Pose you are squeezing your core and back muscles, which results in strengthening these muscles. That increased strength gives you better support around your spine.

Improves Spine Flexibility

The gentle arching of your spine when doing the Bridge Pose strectches out the vertebrae. These stretches reduce stiffness in the spine and give you a better range of motion in your entire back region.

Better Blood Flow

Inverted poses like Bridge Pose encourage better blood flow to the spine. That improved circulation helps the muscles and discs function better.

Stress Relief

A good stretch ofyour back feels great and pulls out any tension that was stuck. The mindful breathing and focus on the pose also help reduce stress. Stress is a known factor in worsening back issues and so its important to have exercises to difuse some of that.

Other Great Exercises for Lower Back Pain

Cat-Cow Pose (Chakravakasana)

This pose is a very simple, gentle movement which stretches and moves your spine. It’s also a wondeful stretch for your torso, shoulders and neck.

How to Perform Cat-Cow Pose

1. Get on your yoga mat on all fours.
2. Place your wrists underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips.
3. Try to balance your weight evenly between all four points.
4. Breath in as you look up and let your stomach drop down toward the mat.
5. Breath out as you tuck your chin into your chest, draw your navel toward your spine, and arch your spine toward the ceiling.
6. Keep awareness of your body as you do this movement. Focus on noting and releasing tension in your body.
7. Continue this fluid movement for at least 1 minute.

Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) 

This is a traditional forward bend that can give you a feeling of relaxation and energy. It’s ideal for anyone with sciatica or back pain. It helps to balance out any imblances and remove stress and tension.

How to Perform Downward-Facing Dog Pose

1. Get on your yoga mat on all fours.
2. Place your hands directly under your wrists and your knees under your hips.
3. Press into your hands, tuck your toes under, and lift up your knees.
4. Bring your sitting bones up toward the ceiling.
5. Keep a slight bend in your knees and lengthen your spine and tailbone.
6. Keep your heels slightly off the ground.
7. Press down into your hands.
8. Keep your weight evenly distrubuted on both sides of your body, focus on the position of your hips and shoulders.
9. Keep your head in line with your upper arms or with your chin tucked in slightly.
10. Hold this pose for up to 1 minute.

Extended Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)

This is a classic standing pose that will help to relieve back ache, sciatica and neck pain. It stretches out your spine, groin and hips and strengthens your shoulders, chest and legs. It can help to reduce stress and anxiety.

How to Perform Extended Triangle Pose

1. From standing, walk your feet about 4 feet apart.
2. Turn your right foot toes to face forward, and your left foot toes out at an angle.
3. Stretch your arms out to the sides, parallel to the floor.
4. Reach your right hand down to your shin, ankle, or the floor outside your right foot.
5. Stretch your left arm toward the ceiling, in line with the tops of your shoulders.
6. Turn your head to gaze at your left hand.
7. Hold this pose for up to 1 minute.
8. Repeat on the other side.

Sphinx Pose (Salamba bhujangasana)

This pose is a very gentle backbend that can help to stretch and strengthen your lower back muscles.

How to Perform Sphinx Pose

1. Lay down on your yoga mat on your stomach with your legs out behind you.
2. Place your elbows under your shoulders, with your forearms on the floor.
3. Press your forearms into the floor and lift your chest and head.
4. Keep your shoulders relaxed and away from your ears.
5. Hold this pose for up to 1 minute.

Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

This pose is a very gentle backbend that can help to stretch and strengthen your lower back muscles.

How to Perform Cobra Pose

1. Lay down on your yoga mat, on your stomach with your legs out behind you.
2. Place your hands under your shoulders, with your elbows close to your sides.
3. Press your palms into the floor and lift your chest and head.
4. Keep your shoulders relaxed and away from your ears.
5. Hold this pose for up to 1 minute.

Child’s Pose (Bālāsana)

Child’s Pose is a peaceful and calming pose that can help remove stress and tension from your body. It stretches your hips, thighs, and ankles, and can help relieve back and neck pain.

How to Perform Child’s Pose

1. Kneel on your yoga mat with your big toes touching and your knees hip-width apart.
2. Sit back on your heels and stretch your arms forward.
3. Rest your forehead on the floor.
4. Hold this pose for up to 1 minute.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How often should I do my yoga exercises for lower back pain?

Consistency is key! Ideally you would be doing some yoga poses at least three times per week. That way your get the benefits of the increased flexibility, strengthened muscles and have less chance of the back pain continuing long term.

Are there other yoga poses that can complement Bridge Pose for lower back pain?

Absolutely, other than Bridge Pose we also highly recommend the Downward-Facing Dog Pose, Child’s Pose, Cobra Pose, Sphinx Pose, Extended Triangle Pose and Cat-Cow Pose. All of these work on different areas of the back and if practised regularly will help improve your flexibility and muscle strength.

Can yoga help chronic lower back pain?

Yoga can be a really valuable tool in reducing lower back pain. If you have chronic pain we recommend you speak to your doctor and develop a treatment plan that includes yoga.

Can yoga help prevent lower back pain?

Yes, yoga can definitely strengthen your muscles and stop injuries and pain from occuring in the first place. It helps to improve your posture, improve flexibility and have less tension in your body.

Can yoga make my lower back pain worse if I do it incorrectly?

Yes, it’s important to follow the instructions and perhaps join a class with a yoga instructor for advice. You should always start slowly, listen to your body if you more discomfort – it might mean you’re not doing the pose correctly or your pushing yourself too much.

Are there any other benefits to practicing yoga?

Yes, so many other benefits to practicing yoga. Yoga can improve your flexibility, balance, and strength, as well as lessen stress and anxiety. It can also help improve your sleep, boost your immune system, and give you a better overall feeling of well-being .

Conclusion

In the search for relief from your lower back pain, yoga is a natural and effective solution.

It’s essential to find out the initial cause of your back pain and then use yoga to help manage it better.

The Bridge Pose, offering a combination of strength, flexibility, and stress reduction, stands out as the single best exercise for lower back pain.

Including yoga into your health routine and doing it with mindfulness, you can make for a healthier, pain-free lower back and a happier life.