![\"Lower](\"https:\/\/www.health.com\/thmb\/JVweI7vJajJ0x5m1O6CN9ugs5yA=\/1500x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()\/Health-LowerBackStretches-b3c3b1fd3ad442ceb94a6f5c49fdc306-3603ca002dc74b9bb4d2cb4b3644ac0b.jpg\")
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JackF \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n <\/span> \nIf simple things like twisting to reach for your phone, or a sneeze, trigger pain in your lower back, it may be time to practice lower back stretches that target and relieve tension here. Whether it\u2019s an ongoing injury or a temporary setback, it\u2019s best to address lower back pain (also known as lumbar pain) as early as possible.\n<\/p>\n \nAs many as 23% of adults globally experience chronic lower back pain, which can stem from mechanical issues (disc and soft tissue injuries), degenerative problems (like osteoarthritis), inflammation, oncology (cancer-related), or infections like soft tissue abscesses.<\/span> \n<\/p>\n \nAnother major cause of lower back pain occurs during pregnancy, where a myriad of hormones, musculoskeletal and body mass shifts leave around 50% of people lingering with lower back pain even one year postpartum.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nThe lower back is comprised of five vertebrae, a network of nerves, discs, muscles and other tissues.<\/span> Tightness in other areas such as the hamstrings and hip flexors are common culprits, and can interfere with fluid motion of the spine and therefore your mobility.<\/span>\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nThankfully, stretching can help you regain your range of motion, making everyday tasks such as climbing stairs and lifting objects less bothersome.\n<\/p>\n \nHere are 10 gentle stretches for the lower back. You will need a cushioned yoga mat and a sturdy chair.\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nCat-Cow (sometimes called cat-camel) is a dynamic, yet soothing, yoga stretch that incorporates two movements. Its key function is to lengthen and improve the spine’s flexibility. It also promotes excellent posture and brings awareness to major muscles, including those of your core.\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nKnown as Balasana (‘bala’ means child and ‘sana’ means posture in Sanskrit), Child\u2019s Pose is also a popular stretch in Pilates and yoga and a welcome pause during a tough workout. This stretch is also great at elongating the lower back muscles and opening the hips. This can reduce stress and back pain, as well as bloating.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nThis stretch loosens and lengthens tight muscles in the lower back, your erector spinae and glutes. Be extra cautious if you suffer from a slipped disc or osteoarthritis as this positioning can aggravate the pain further. The knee-to-chest stretch is a simple, yet effective stretch to quickly relieve tension caused by tight muscles in the lower back.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nAs the name suggests, this exercise involves a gentle twisting motion to relieve tension in the spine and lower back regions. Twisting motions are also a massage for your internal organs, which can relieve constipation and improve digestion.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nLower back pain can cause a postural shift, often with your pelvis tilting forward and lordosis (a more prominent curve) of the spine.<\/span> Pelvic tilts can rectify the mechanics by firing up the core to improve stabilization in this area, which can reduce strain on the lower back.\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nThe shoulder bridge stretch is a take on a classical Pilates exercise that mobilizes the spine and lengthens the muscles along the back to help alleviate tightness and tension. \n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nThe standing roll-down opens the space between each vertebra across the entire spine to relieve tightness and also reset your posture and kick-start those core muscles for better stability across your entire body.\n<\/p>\n \nYou can practice this exercise next to a wall for added support throughout the movement.\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nTight hips can cause your pelvis to rotate forward, leading to lower back pain. The figure four stretch encourages your hips to open and massages your lower back as it rests on the mat. You should feel this stretch in your glutes, too.\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nA seated fold is a popular yoga pose in which your body forward folds onto itself, stretching your whole back as well as loosening your hamstrings and hips.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nYour lower back will feel the pinch if sciatica or a herniated disc is at the root of your problem. Caused by compression on the sciatic nerve, sciatica pain radiates along the lower back and often down the leg, into your foot.<\/span> If a flare-up is causing tension and pain, nerve flossing will stretch localized muscles to bring about relief, however, you will likely feel some mild pain with this stretch. If the pain is intolerable, you shouldn’t do this stretch.\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nWhen low back pain flares up or persists, even the simplest motions can become painful. It can happen out of the blue, like a sudden fall, or linked to an ongoing issue such as a slipped disc, sciatica, osteoarthritis or lingering problems post pregnancy.\n<\/p>\n \nSometimes, stretching can help lengthen muscles that may be spasming or just tight in the lower back. You can target this region with exercises such as cat-cow and standing roll-down, which lengthen and relax lower back muscles to facilitate easier movement.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" JackF \/ Getty Images If simple things like twisting to reach for your phone, or a sneeze, trigger pain in your lower back, it may be time to practice lower back stretches that target and relieve tension here. Whether it\u2019s an ongoing injury or a temporary setback, it\u2019s best to address lower back pain (also […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17263,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,1063,435],"tags":[23,1064,437],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17263"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17263"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17263\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Cat-Cow <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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Child's Pose <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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Knee-To-Chest Stretch <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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Supine Spinal Twist <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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Pelvic Tilt <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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Shoulder Bridge <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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Standing Roll-Down <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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Figure Four <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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Seated Fold <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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Seated Nerve Flossing <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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A Quick Review <\/span> <\/h2>\n