Yoga poses, called asanas, are important because they help stretch and strengthen all muscles of the body. Even simple poses provide a great foundation for building strength and flexibility, developing a strong core, and reducing back pain. Spending 15 minutes of your day moving and breathing could help you reduce your lower back pain.

So, which poses are most effective?

Try these 12 yoga poses for back pain to find some relief!

Cat and Cow Pose (Chakravakasana)

• Instructions

Start on all fours with knees under hips and wrists under shoulders. As you inhale, drop your belly to the floor, allowing your lower back to arch deeply and your shoulder blades to slide down your back. Exhale and lower the tailbone, rounding the lower, middle, and upper back before finally lowering your head. Breathe deeply and slowly, and use all your breath to move. Try starting with five reps, and adding more if that feels good.

• Benefits

The cat-Cow pose increases flexibility in the neck, shoulders, and spine. This move also stretches your hips, back, abdomen, and chest muscles. Strengthen your spine. During this stretch, activate your tailbone and relieve tension in your neck and upper back. 

Downwards dog yoga (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

• Instructions

Step closer to the ball of your foot and lift your hips, then release your heels toward the mat. It is perfect for helping to ease the pain in your back after a long day at the office. 

• Benefits

The downward dog activates muscles throughout your body, particularly in the back body, including, heels, calves, hamstrings, glutes, hips, and lower back. 

Locust pose yoga ( Salabhasana)

• Instructions:

1. Lie on your belly with your legs together, arms extended back, and your chin on the floor.

2. Inhale and lift the chest, head, arms, and legs off the floor.

3. Stay in the locust pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

• Benefits

Locust Pose stretches and strengthens the muscles of the back and core and improves spinal mobility. While many everyday activities (such as sitting) bend your spine, Locust Pose lengthens your spine. It opens up your chest, improves your posture, and helps combat slouching.

Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

• Instructions

While sitting, extend your left leg forward and bend your right knee so that you lay it on its side like half a butterfly. Reach forward and slowly fold your legs. After 3 breaths, switch sides. This pose gets into your hips and psoas, which can put a lot of strain on your back if they become inflamed. Please don’t force this. Relax and pose for optimal spinal release. 

• Benefits

A seated forward fold provides a deep stretch across the back of the body from heels to the neck. Forward bending calms the nervous system and emotions and stimulates the reproductive and urinary systems.

Extended Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)

• Instructions

From a standing position, walk your feet about 4 feet apart. Then rotate your right toe forward and your left toe diagonally outward. Raise your arms parallel to the floor, palms down. Bend forward and rotate your right hip to bring your arms and torso forward. Bring your hand to your leg, yoga block, or floor. Extend your left arm toward the ceiling. Look up, look forward, or look down. Hold this pose for up to 1 minute. Repeat on the other side. 

• Benefits

The Extended Triangle is great for lengthening your spine and strengthening your hamstrings and upper body. This pose also stretches your hips, groins, hamstrings, calves, shoulders, chest, and spine.

Knees To Chest

• Instructions

Lie on your back and pull your knees toward your chest. This has the same effect as Child’s Pose without the impact on the knees. Roll it up and let it go. Gently rock from right to left to gently massage your spine. 

• Benefits

The knee-to-chest position stretches and releases tension in the lower back and massages the abdominal organs. This pose reduces gas, improves circulation, and rebalances energy.

Crescent Lunge On One Knee

• Instructions

Step your right foot forward between your hands. Try to place your feet directly under your knees so that your shins are vertical. You can place your hands on the mat for balance, or you can extend your arms overhead to lengthen your spine and open your chest. 

• Benefits

The Crescent Lunge on Knee is a yoga pose that deepens the hip flexors, groin, and legs, and opens the front of the body, including the chest and shoulders. Learning how to do the Crescent Lunge on the Knee will help you strengthen and tone your thighs, hips, and buttocks while practicing balance and stability.

Warrior 1

• Instructions

Bring your right foot between your hands, bend your right knee, drop your back foot to the mat, and lift your body and arms. Remember to bring your back hip forward so your hips are in line.

• Benefits

Warrior I Strengthens your legs and upper arms strengthen your balance and core and stretch the muscles around your lower back. Both the hamstrings (quads and hamstrings), hips, and chest are fully stretched, as is the back of the erector spinae.

Twist 

• Instructions

Keeping your knees bent, turn your head to the left and bend to the right. After 3-5 breaths, switch sides. Twist relieves the lower back and promotes spinal mobility.

• Benefits

The twisting motion helps create intervertebral spaces, thereby lengthening the spine. This decompresses the spinal space and protects spinal nerve health. The flow of energy is strengthened in a gentle and non-evasive way, completely revitalizing.

Child’s pose

• Instructions

From all fours, start lowering your hips toward your heels. You can either keep your toes apart and touch your big toes, keep your knees spread apart, or keep your inside legs together. Arms can be extended forward on the mat or placed at the sides of the body. 

• Benefits

It keeps the internal organs of the body flexible and supple. Lengthen and lengthen your spine. Supporting the head and torso helps relieve neck and back pain. Gently stretch your hips, thighs, and ankles. 

Sphinx 

• Instructions

Lie on your stomach and press your toes into the mat. Bring your elbows directly under your torso and lift your torso off the mat. Extend your hands in front of you with your fingers spread and resting firmly on the mat. Relax your glutes, breathe in and relax your abdomen, and shoulders away from your ears. If necessary, place a block at the highest point in front of the mat and place your forehead on it for support (keep your neck long and shoulders relaxed). Take at least 10 breaths here, as many times as you’d like. 

• Benefits

Stretch your abs, strengthen your spine, and tone your buttocks. It also stretches and opens your chest, lungs, and shoulders. It revitalizes the body, soothes the nervous system, and is effective in relieving fatigue.

Extended puppy pose

• Instructions

Get on all fours and make sure your knees are directly below your hips. Keeping your hips on your hips, start moving your hands forward, lowering your chest toward the floor (like a puppy plays). You can put your forehead on the ground or a block. If this stretch is too intense, use a pillow or yoga roller to create a cushion to support your chest. Breathe deeply into the abdomen and hips and let him take at least 5 breaths (do as often as he feels comfortable).

• Benefits

The stretched puppy is a very calming and relaxing pose that helps calm the mind and relieve stress and tension. This pose also improves stretch and flexibility in your spine, hips, shoulders, and upper back.

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