Stiff backs have become commonplace. We sit on our beds all-day long, in all sorts of different positions, especially if we’re working from home God knows how bad it is for our body posture and back! So, don’t be surprised if you wake up every day feeling like an old person with a hand on your back while trying to shake away the stiffness from your back. It is our deteriorated lifestyle that has led to this. But it is important that you don’t neglect this problem and find timely solutions to it.
Mankirat Kaur, a sports nutritionist, shared an exercise routine through her Instagram handle, which if performed as soon as you wake up will help you get rid of the stiffness in your back:
1. Release your upper back
To perform this exercise you need to kneel beside your bed and bend forward so that your elbows are on the bed. Make sure your forehead is touching the mattress. Stay in this position for at least 60 seconds, so that you feel the stretch in your upper back.
2. Spinal Twists
Lie down on your bed and stretch your arms sidewards. Bend your knees and twist them, from below the waist, to your right and then left. Make sure your upper body remains in the same position. Do this 20 times to release the tension in your lower back.
3. Cat Cow
This is a very famous yoga exercise known as Marjaryasana in Sanskrit. This exercise will help if you have stiff or sore muscles. To perform this exercise, get on all fours and balance your weight equally. Inhale as you look up and drop your belly down. Then exhale as you look down and arch your back. Do this 10 times in succession, but be very gentle with your movements.
4. Child’s Pose
This is a yoga pose also known as balasana. This pose helps with the strengthening of your spine. Push back from a kneeling position as you set your hips on your ankles. Stretch your spine forward with your arms in front of you. Hold this pose for at least 60 seconds.
Follow this routine, step-by-step, every time you wake up with a stiff back in the morning. “Remember to follow your natural range of motion and never to over extend, especially in the morning. Talk to your doctor if you have chronic pain or a low back injury,” advises Mankirat.