How yoga helps prevent back pain

Do you suffer from back pain too? Have you been to an orthopaedist, maybe even a physiotherapist, but the relief was only temporary? Did the professionals advise you to practise yoga or Pilates to ease your back pain, and you didn't understand why? Today we'll try to understand a possible source of your back pain and how practice can help relieve it.

There are a few main reasons we may suffer from lower back pain:

• Sitting for long periods

• Standing for long periods

• Tilting the head down – at a computer or phone

• Bending and lifting heavy things incorrectly

• And more…

Before we talk about what to do to prevent the pain, let's understand which muscles we need to strengthen to ease it and keep the body strong.

To take the load off the lower back and the vertebrae, it's important to strengthen our core – the abdominal muscles, the pelvis and the spinal erectors.

Alongside strengthening, it's important to work on the flexibility of the back and neck muscles.

Anyone who knows me and my way of teaching knows that my approach is movement and breath as one.

Our body is a living, breathing creature – an organism.

When we reach a state of pain and discomfort, we're at a crossroads of listening.

Our body signals to us in an amazing way and tells us where it needs attention.

That's the area we'll give our attention to, and it will show in our practice and our breath.

So I've prepared 5 exercises to help you prevent lower back pain or improve the situation you're in.

My recommendation before you begin: sit, close your eyes, place a hand on the painful area of your lower back and give it 10 slow, deep breaths – preparing it for movement and effort. The breath brings oxygen to the area and creates space between the tissues and muscles. Remember that our mind plays an important role in the activity and movement of our physical body.

The exercises are very simple and can be done anywhere, any time:

1) Dead bug

Lie on your back, lift your arms and legs into the air, press your lower back into the mat and keep your core engaged. Each time, extend the opposite arm and leg away from the centre and back. Alternate sides.

Do 5 slow repetitions on each side.

2) Hip and pelvic stretch

Lying on your back, rest one foot on the knee of the other leg with the foot flexed, and draw your knees toward your chest. Make sure your head rests on a pillow or a slight lift. Stay in the position for 5 deep breaths.

3) Cobra

Palms under your armpits, elbows hugging the sides of your ribcage, pelvis staying on the mat.

Inhale – lift the chest and straighten the elbows; exhale – lower back down to the mat.

10 slow repetitions.

4) Core strengthening

Come onto all fours and lift your knees. Make sure your palms are under your shoulders and your core is engaged.

This exercise has 2 levels:

Level one – tuck your toes and lift your knees.

Level two – place the tops of your feet down and push from there, adding a stretch to the top of the foot.

Try to hold for 5 deep breaths; you can repeat the exercise more than once.

5) Puppy pose

Start on all fours, but this time walk your hands past your shoulder line so your upper body sinks toward the mat while your pelvis stays high. Let your armpits and chest open.

Stay in the stretch for 5 deep breaths.

I invite you to add these poses to your regular practice, or even to your morning routine. Doing them regularly will significantly improve the back pain you suffer from.

Remember: real improvement comes with consistency and listening to our body.