Do you want to do a backbend? (2024)

DO YOU WANT TO DO A BACKBEND?

Probably you saw people doing backbends during yoga or gymnastics back in the school times but you always thought “naaah… it’s not for me”. Let us enlighten you – it is for everyone. And it does not have to be as hard as it looks like. So…. How to do a perfect bridge pose? You will do that after reading this article, using some of our tips and doing a bit of exercise!

WHAT IS A BACKBAND AND WHO IS IT FOR?

A backbend is what yoga instructors are calling a wheel pose. To do this particular position you need to bend your back backward in order to do a full bridge. Practicing spine flexibility is really important especially in the times we live in. Many of us are in the sitting position the
entire day. Working behind a computer, driving a car, watching TV – all of this causes the lack of spinal extension. It requires to tighten shoulders and hips which is not good for our health. Is the spine stretching safe for you? Yes, it is. If you’re not injured and if there are none medical contraindications you should practice your flexibility (you may want to contact your doctor beforehand). Remember that stretching should not be painful – you need to feel a good, nice stretch but if you feel a major pain when exercising than you should stop or go to another exercise. It doesn’t matter how old are you or how flexible you already are. Even the stiffest people can really benefit from exercising their spines.

LET’S DO A BACKBEND

Okay, so you already know what a backbend is – let’s start exercising! First, you have to remember to warm up before any sports activity you do just to let your muscles know that they need to prepare, and you will be using a lot of them today: rhomboids, hamstrings, core muscles, trapezius, triceps, pectoralis minor and also hip flexors. What do you need? Definitely, a yoga mat is a must-have.

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WARM UP!

To start you need to prepare your spine, your legs and your shoulders for the activity. For example, you can do several sequences of a Sun Salutation – a well-known yoga practice. For those who are not really into yoga – a few minutes of jogging or cardiovascular will be good as well. Besides, you should also do a bit of stretching. Remember that stretching is all about holding the stretch (i.e. for 15 min) and not pumping. Try to extend your body
with the downward and upward dog poses.

OFF YOU GO (with a few yoga poses)

  1. The first position which is really helpful while trying to lengthen and stretch the spine the cat and cow pose. Begin with the cow pose. Be on your all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under the hips and lift your chin and chest up and draw your shoulders down. While exhaling slightly move to the cat pose which looks like an actual cat stretching its back. Stretch your back towards the ceiling. Do not force your chin to your chest. Repeat the sequence 5 to 20 times.

  2. Another exercise you should do is called in yoga the Spinhx position. You should lie face-down with your arms on the sides bent under your shoulders. While inhaling you press the arms to the floor and lift the chest and the head up. You can extend the lengthening of the spine by rolling the outer thighs. Try to draw your chest forward, hold it up and while exhaling slowly get back down with your head and your chest.

  3. Let’s get ready for the full bridge pose! This one is called the bridge and during this exercise, you support your head and shoulders. Lie on the back with the feet under the bent knees and try to reach your feet with your fingers. Lift your hip and hold it from 30 seconds to 1 minute.

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DO THE WORK

  1. Prepare the spine for the full bridge while working on the thoracic extension. You can sit and put your hands on some box and start pressing your chest down. You can also do this while standing.

  2. . To improve your spinal flexibility try thoracic rotation – start sitting with your forearms on your knees and rotate your body with elbow bend behind your back.

  3. This exercise starts in a kneeling position. You push your hips forward and lift your chest up to the ceiling and back while relaxing your hips.

  4. Another important thing is to do the classic lunge stretch and add the chest rotation to the side.

  5. Camel stretch – this exercise starts in a kneeling position, where your arms are supporting you while pushing the hips and the chest away from each other.

  6. When feeling more comfortable you can try a full bridge pose! Good luck!

TIPS AND TRICKS

Those of you who are a bit less advanced can try to do the full bridge with the large ball under the back for a support. Another useful idea is to put blocks under your hands to avoid the lower back compression. Stiffer people should stretch their hips, chest and shoulder on a daily basis. Even if only for 15 minutes. Those who are more flexible tend to overextend their back and to avoid the injury should build their core muscle strength. Remember that stretching you back is also about forward bending. A lot of people forget about that while focusing on the backbend but the full movement is really important for the spine. You can try to touch your feet with your hands and practice it as much as you can – even when tightening your shoes. You can also kneel and put your hands on the ground on the one side of your legs
and try to stand up.

BENEFITS OF A BACKBEND

The main benefit of the backbend is that during it you open your chest and your shoulders. Your spine gains flexibility and it has a full range of movement what reduce the pain in the spine caused by a sedentary lifestyle. Remember that the backbend needs to be done correctly in order to be beneficial – a bad backbend can cause problems, so if you have an opportunity
to contact a gym trainer or a yoga teacher to take a look at your backbend then definitely do that!

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BREATH, BACKBEND, REPEAT

Did you manage to do a bridge pose? If not – continue and exercise more. It is really good for your spine as well as your state of being. If yes – now you should try a backbend kickover. How to do that? Go into a bridge pose, kick over with your foot and try to stand up. To do that you will need a strong core and upper body muscles and a lot of nice stretching.

Do you want to do a backbend? (2024)

FAQs

Is it good to be able to do a backbend? ›

Backbends improve respiratory function

Backbends expand the chest, leading to deeper breathing and increased oxygenation of the blood. This can strengthen the heart muscles, raise metabolism, and promote overall cardiovascular health.

What is the goal of the back bend? ›

Backbends help bring your body back into balance. Backbends strengthen your back, shoulders, chest, and hips. They lengthen your spine, increase flexibility, and improve mobility, which helps promote good posture. Plus, they help relieve tension, tightness, and pain.

Why can't I do a backbend? ›

It may not be too obvious, but your ability to do backbends in yoga is not only determined by the flexibility of your spine. It's often tightness in the hip flexors, the shoulders, or the side body that compromises your form in yoga backbends.

Can backbends hurt your back? ›

Floppy Backbend :(

This photo is an old photo. While clearly very bendy, we can see that they're flopping into the backbend, crunching the lumbar spine, and not using the rest of the core to moderate the pose. This type of backbend leads to a very sore back (and potentially injuries over time).

How many days does it take to learn a backbend? ›

As long as you are strong enough and flexible enough, yes. Some people could spend their entire life trying to do one, and not succeed, because they aren't strong enough and flexible enough. I have taught kids and adults to back bend in a day, I have taught some to back handspring on their first day of gymnastics.

Is a backbend hard? ›

Deep backbends are at first very hard, frustrating, and even painful. They seem imposible. But after a while they feel liberating, bring sense of freedom and lightness. And are almost addictive.

What is the most difficult backbend? ›

Pigeon Pose—Kapotasana

This is one of the most intense backbends, and should only be performed once you are proficient in other backbends. From camel pose, lower your upper body down, hinging at the knee.

How often should I practice backbends? ›

Instead start by training 2-3 times a week. Keep sessions short and tight with a maximum length of 30 min. Get consistent for 2-3 weeks and start building on that. If you want to stop training your back, stop slowly.

How do I gain confidence in my backbend? ›

Walking down the wall

Standing with their back to the wall, they can put their hands over their head, press their hands into the wall, and walk their hands all the way down the wall until they are touching the ground and are – voila! – in a backbend position!

What is the benefit of backbend? ›

Benefits of Practicing Backbends Every Day

In simple terms, backbends help you strengthen your spine, while also increasing its flexibility and mobility. If that sounds a little abstract, just imagine that every move you make throughout the day becomes smoother and more controlled if your back is in good shape.

Is back bridge good for you? ›

When performed correctly, a bridge exercise can help promote better posture, It is often prescribed for patients with back pain , and increases the activities of trunk stabilization muscles such as the internal oblique, external oblique, and erector spinae muscles.

Are backbends bad for your spine? ›

However, when you allow any back-bending posture to sit exclusively in your lower back, you can develop an injury. For instance, if not practiced with mindfulness, upward-facing dog pose, or Urdva Mukha Savanasana, can harm your spine.

Is it good to bend your back? ›

Let's not forget that back-bending is not just about strengthening the muscles around the spine, but moving the spine itself. Through our movements, we can affect not only the muscles and the connective tissue, but the bones as well.

What are the benefits of back arching? ›

Improved flexibility: Controlled back arching can enhance the flexibility of the spine and surrounding muscles, contributing to a better range of motion and reduced risk of injury. Strengthened core muscles: Certain back arching exercises engage the core muscles.

References

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