Stretching exercises are an essential way to prevent injury and an effective way to revive the tired muscles in the morning. They not only help in lengthening the muscles but also make them strong and functional for a life time.

Back Stretching Exercises – Types of Stretches

There are different back stretching exercises that help to relax your body and arms. Extension stretch is the basic one where the face lies down towards the floor with the hands extended behind your body. Lift the head to form an arch lock your elbows straight and hands towards the side of your body. Other types of stretches include rotational stretch; bending sideways, hamstring stretch, abdominal crunch, exercise ball crunch, planks, press crunch, reverse fly or dumbbell row, bicycle stretch, etc. Back stretching exercises work best with a trained exercise professional or a physical therapist as a developing program to reduce the back pain effectively. For all the stretching exercises, you have to breathe deeply throughout the stretches.

Upper Back Stretches – Relaxing the Tightened Muscles

The stretching exercises relax your tightened muscles and upper back stretches exercise help to improve the body posture, as well. First sit straight with legs crossed. With your palm facing away from your body, lace all your fingers together and reach both arms upward and extend high and long. You can also turn slightly towards right and left to increase the stretch. You can also sit on a chair with both your arms extended in front of you and hands clasped together. Then you can round your waist and upper back portion followed by dropping your chin to your chest. Keep your legs at right angles and draw your buttocks back to your heels, while simultaneously extending your left arm before you while your forehead rests on your right arm. Then, repeat upper back stretches with your right arm.

Lower Back Stretch – Essential Stretches

The lower back stretch exercises involve erector spinae group muscles and transversospinalis group muscles. Exercises cover all fours back stretch, standing back stretch, total back stretch, etc. While doing lying back stretch exercise, lie on the floor with face upwards and legs relaxed. Bend both knees up and hold back your thighs and pull them towards your chest. All fours back stretch is done by dropping the head down and arching the back upwards for a minimum ten seconds and then returning to the start position. Similarly in standing back stretch exercise, stand up with your arms folded across your chest holding on opposite shoulders. Keeping the shoulder position through out, move your head left and right for ten seconds. Total back stretch is a real stretch for whole body and is done by kneeling down and stretching by moving forwards and backwards.