How Yoga Can Help To Keep Your Spine Healthy

With the increase in desk jobs and computer usage, more and more people are experiencing back pain. Yoga is a perfect way to keep your spine healthy and strong. With just 15 minutes of practice every day, you can maintain a healthy back. If you have been feeling any twinges or aches in your back recently, it’s probably because your spine is under strain from the way you sit, stand, walk, lift things, and so on. Luckily, practicing yoga poses can help you relieve stress on your spine while toning muscles underneath that provide support for this area of your body.

What Is Good for Your Back?

There are many benefits associated with having a healthy back. It’s more than just a place to store your wallet! It’s the foundation upon which your body rests, and all the important organs are housed within your back. Your back keeps you upright, so it bears the majority of your body weight, which is why it’s essential to look after it. You can practice yoga as often as you like, but without practicing good posture at the same time, your efforts will be futile. Your spine is made up of vertebrae, and each one of these has a specific role. The discs between each vertebrae act as a cushion and help to distribute weight evenly. Healthy discs are soft, round, and pliable, but if you apply too much pressure to them, they can become hardened and brittle. When this happens, they can be easily ruptured, which can lead to problems ranging from back pain to sciatica.

The Importance of Stretching

An important component of practicing yoga is stretching your muscles. This is especially important for yogis that sit at a desk all day. Stiff muscles can not only lead to aches and pains, but can also cause your joints to become painful. They can even lead to conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome. Plus, when you hold your poses for longer, you help your body to relax and unwind, which is an essential part of every yoga practice. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful condition that can occur when your wrist joints become inflamed and swollen, and the surrounding nerves are compressed. This can lead to numbness, tingling, and pain in the hands, which can make simple tasks like typing extremely difficult.

How Does Yoga Help a Healthy Back?

Yoga is an ancient practice that can help you to improve your overall health and wellbeing. It can help you to relax and unwind, as well as increase your flexibility and strength. People with a healthy back are less likely to experience back pain, so practicing yoga can be extremely beneficial for your spine. If you have a desk job, you probably spend the majority of your day sitting down. Unfortunately, this position can wreak havoc on your back if you don’t take the right precautions. If you want to avoid back pain, you should sit up straight with your feet resting on the floor. You should also keep your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. You should also try to take regular breaks from sitting at your desk, and remember to stretch your back, shoulders, and legs regularly.

Chair Pose and Tadasana

Chair pose is a perfect pose for those of us who sit for the majority of the day. It can help to stretch your shoulders and back, as well as improve your posture. To perform chair pose, stand up straight with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Make sure that your knees are behind your toes, and that your weight is evenly distributed between both feet. To come into the pose, lift your arms up above your head and bend forward at the hips. Squeeze your shoulder blades together, and try to bring your palms or fingertips together behind your back. Stay in this pose for 30 seconds, and then come back to standing with your feet together. Try to incorporate these into your day to help combat the harmful effects of sitting down.

Bridge Pose and Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

Bridge pose is a great pose for strengthening your back, alleviating back pain, and improving your posture. To perform this pose, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet planted on the floor. Squeeze your gluts, and lift your hips off the floor until your spine is completely straight. Stay in this pose for 30 seconds, and then lower your hips back down to the ground. To do setu bandha sarvangasana (bridge pose with lifted leg), perform the same pose as above, but lift one leg off the floor. Hold that pose for about 20 seconds, and then switch legs. To do this pose, you will need a yoga mat, yoga blocks, and a strap.