Recommended Exercises for Stretching Out Your Back

Of course, actively stretching out your back will always be beneficial. Here are three exercises you can complete at home or in the park to help ease out tension.

The Plank
Get down on your hands and knees, and then extend your legs so your body-weight is supported by your palms and toes, and your back forms a straight, horizontal line. Hold this for as long as you can. Thirty seconds is a good start. Two minutes is a pro level killer.

The Pull-Up
More and more parks include exercise bars these days. But anything will do, from a sturdy tree branch to any safe, horizontal bar (although don’t try it on public transport). With your palms facing away from you and your hands slightly wider than your shoulders, squeeze the bar, focusing on contracting your shoulder blades as you lift yourself from the ground, then slowly lower. Don’t be dismayed if you can only manage a handful of pull-ups at first; this is a notoriously difficult exercise, but fantastic for stretching out your back.

Wall Angels
An easy one. Stand with your back flat against the wall, as outlined above. Hold your hands up, so your elbows are at right angles. Your arms and head should form a ‘W’ shape. Without moving your hands from the wall, push them up so your arms form a ‘Y’ shape, then slowly lower. Do 10, then relax.

How to Correct Bad Posture

• Balance training helps to improve posture as it allows your body to quickly find stable postures when it is pushed out of position.
• To counteract your head dipping forward, bring your attention up to the top of your head. Try scratching the very top of your head, in the middle, then focusing your attention on this spot when you’ve taken your hand away.
• Keeping your feet on the floor when sitting and being aware of your contact with the ground while standing will help you get the support you need to maintain your balance. When standing, try balancing your weight evenly between both feet and keeping the weight even between the heels and the balls of the feet.
• Breathing is an excellent gauge of posture. If you’re breath feels shallow, you are probably trying too hard to fix your posture and getting stiff, so relax.
• The simplest way to elongate your spine and prevent painful knots is to keep moving. Get up from your desk once an hour and make a cup of tea. Pull on your running shoes and jog home from work. Get up off the sofa and get some snacks from the corner shop – anything that prevents your spine from resting in one position for too long.