Back off, back pain! We’ve got some moves to put you to rest. So many people suffer needlessly with sore backs, tight backs, or other stiff muscles that cause a problem for the back. There are many reasons for having a bad back, but there are also many solutions that cost you nothing and will not only make your back feel better, but help you get rid of back fat in…
If you work at a desk, you’re probably all too familiar with the aches and pains that come with prolonged sitting. Stiff, tired muscles, aching backs and tension in the neck are unfortunate side effects that many people deal with on a regular basis. Fortunately, a few simple routines can help relieve tension, give your muscles a break, and change the physical negativity…
There are two common types of lower back strain: A muscle strain happens when the muscle is over-stretched or torn, resulting in damage to the muscle fibers (also called a pulled muscle). A lumbar sprain happens when ligaments are stretched too far or torn. Ligaments are very tough, fibrous connecting tissues that connect bones together. For practical purposes, it…
How slouching hurts your body Slouching—with your shoulders and upper back rounded forward—can lead to aches and pains in your back, neck and shoulders. “Headaches and tension in the shoulders and back are often created by chronic bad posture, ” says Peggy W. Brill, a physical therapist based in New York City and spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association…
HERE S ONE FOR THE KNEES Yoga is an amazing practice to keep your back muscles strong, thereby improving or helping to maintain good posture. Yoga asana is also an amazing way to keep the spine hydrated, supple, mobile and ultimately healthy; combatting things like degenerative disc disease that occurs with the aging process. When thinking about keeping the back safe…
Fitness If you re not thoughtful about the way you move, your om could turn into a serious ouch. Here are 7 simple yoga exercises that can cause back pain - and how to stay safe by Kristin Kane | That girl on the yoga mat next to you may look impressive as she bends and stretches beyond imaginable limits, but there s really nothing worth envying if by pushing…
Dear Lifehacker, I spend all day at my desk, and over time, I ve noticed my posture has gotten worse and worse—and I m even feeling some occasional back pain. How can I fix it? Signed, Perpetually Bent Dear P.B., We re sorry to hear about the back pain! You re right—a good posture can go a long way in avoiding chronic backache, headache, chest pain as well as shoulder…
2 ROUNDED SHOULDERS The problem Weakness in the middle and lower parts of your trapezius (the large muscle that spans your shoulders and back) The fix Lie facedown on the floor, with each arm at a 90-degree angle in the high-five position. Without changing your elbow angle, raise both arms by pulling your shoulders back and squeezing your shoulder blades together…
Yoga can be a very beneficial therapy for controlling and lowering high blood pressure naturally. The gentle, soothing practice of yoga asanas settles both mind and body and reduces stress—a leading cause of hypertension. If you choose the right yoga poses, yoga can help to switch on the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and repair, and…
Back stretches can go a long way towards relieving the muscle tension that is the most common cause of back pain. Stretches for your lower back should be done carefully to avoid injury. Here are some simple lower back stretches that you can do at home; some of the stretches require a chair. 1) Cat Stretch You ll perform this stretch on the floor, on your hands and…
1. Standing poses are a good preparation for forward bends and also for back bends. 2. Adho Mukha Svanasana is a good preparation for all poses and also a good warm down after both forward bends and back bends. There is almost never a bad time to do Adho Mukha Svanasana.   If you are doing Adho Mukha Svanasana near the beginning of a session, it is an…
Your mom was right: You ll look better and feel great if you stop slouching and stand up straight. Yoga can help you do just that—in a way that honors your spine s natural curves. Here s a guide to assessing and improving your posture. Your mom was right: You ll look better and feel great if you stop slouching and stand up straight. Yoga can help you do just that…
While it s often completely dismissed or just mistaken as upper back pain, middle back pain relates to inflammation surrounding the thoracic region of the spine. Running from the base of your neck to the bottom of your rib cage, the thoracic spine doesn t move very much, explains Russel C. Huang, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon with the Hospital for Special Surgery…
INSTAGRAM Pixie Lott showed how flexible she was in a racy bikini snap The 26-year-old popstar flaunted her enviably trim semi-naked body in a polka dot two-piece as she appeared to defy physics, sitting by the side of a pond and arching her back as she simultaneously placed the top of her head on the floor behind her. Pixie s slender pins were on full display in…
If you are in pain from spinal stenosis, you probably don t even want to think about exercising. You should certainly avoid any activities that put too much stress on your spine (contact sports, for example). At the same time, you shouldn t stop exercising all together because healthy, strong muscles offer more support to your back. Plus, if you don t move at all—if…
Hot yoga is the general term for yoga performed in a climate-controlled studio with the heat and humidity jacked up to tropical intensity. The original hot yoga, Bikram, cranks it up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit and throws in a bonus of 40 percent humidity so you really feel like you re in the south of India. Other hot yoga studios may not be as extreme, but the theory…
