Stretches to Relieve Back Pain
Amanda Silver ‘21 Staff Writer
In the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, many students and teachers experience back pain from sitting at a desk for multiple hours a day during online school. According to Healthline, back pain occurs when there is straining on the disks that help keep your vertebrae from rubbing against each other. A common reason why many people experience back pain is from bad posture. When you sit at a desk for a long period of time, your posture slowly worsens, which aggravates the disks and causes you a lot of pain. As stated in an UC Davis article, “poor posture can easily be reversed and healed with daily stretching.”
Warrior Pose: Start by placing your right foot in front of you, keeping your toes tracking forward. Place your left leg behind you, keeping it straight as you sink into a lunge position. Pivot your left foot approximately 45 degrees to the left and place your arms above your head, keeping your shoulders pressed down. Lift your chin to look up at the ceiling while squeezing your back blades together. Hold for approximately 30 seconds, then repeat on the left side. This pose is used to stretch and strengthen your shoulders, arms and back. Dean Baghdadi, a junior at Howard High School, uses yoga as a way to relieve back pain after sitting at his desk all day. “My favorite yoga pose to do when I am experiencing back pain is the warrior pose,” states Baghdadi.
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Cobra Pose: Begin by laying on your stomach with your feet hip distance apart. Place your arms shoulder length apart and bend them at a 45 degree angle. Press your thighs, feet and hips firmly into the ground. Breathe in and hold for 10 seconds. Exhale. Straighten your arms and lift your chest off the ground, keeping your hips on the ground. Repeat this movement as many times as you feel are necessary. This pose is used to stretch and strengthen the spine. “My favorite yoga pose to do after a long day is the cobra pose,” says Anaya Brown, a sophomore at Howard High School. Not only does she do yoga after a long day of school, but she enjoys doing it in her free time as well.
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Extra Tips for Stretches:
- Hold stretches for 10 to 30 seconds - Do not stretch an injured muscle
- Only stretch to comfort, not to pain - Do not bounce when stretching
- Do not stretch if your muscles are cold - Go for a 5 to 10 minute walk first
- Hold stretches for 10 to 30 seconds - Do not stretch an injured muscle
- Only stretch to comfort, not to pain - Do not bounce when stretching
- Do not stretch if your muscles are cold - Go for a 5 to 10 minute walk first