These days all it takes is a night of restless sleep for me to wake up with a stiff spine. I have found that consistent yoga practice makes a huge difference in how my body feels, especially in my back. Read on to learn the reasons why yoga is great for your spine.

be patient with your body

Remember not to force anything. Many of the yoga videos or classes that are helpful to the back involve twisting asanas (poses). Take it slow and with ease. Try not to jam yourself in a twist looking to hear “cracks”. This can be more damaging than helpful and may cause further discomfort.

I also want to point out that this will not be a one time fix. If you have chronic back pain doing 1 yoga session is not going to make it go away. Non-pharmaceutical solutions like this take time and repetition before significant results. I say this so that you don’t give up too soon. Practice yoga a 3-4X a week for a few weeks before you write it off as something that doesn’t work for you.

yoga stretches your muscles

When muscles are too tight they limit your ability to move fluidly. Even getting in to the car can feel rigid and laborious. The paraspinal muscles play a huge role in not only the function of the spine, but the entire body as a whole. Loosening up these muscles with stretching will improve your range of motion and allow you to move your body with more ease and less moans and groans.

yoga increases muscle strength

One of the culprits of low back pain is poor core strength. Your core is what helps to stabilize your lumbar spine (low back). When it is weak you can experience poor posture, pain, and faulty movement _⁽²⁾. Yoga is great for your spine because many of the asanas (poses) help build core strength over time.

your strength comes from your center

A study that had participants practice yoga twice a week for 12 weeks showed significant improvement in upper and lower abdominal strength, thus reducing the severity of their back pain _⁽²⁾.

yoga increases spinal flexibility

Research is proving that yoga is great for your spine. A study group participating in yoga just once a week had increased spinal and hamstring flexibility. This result gave participants improved overall movement and function_⁽⁵⁾. For those of us experiencing chronic low back pain from the WFH lifestyle these are promising outcomes.

If you feel stiff with limited mobility in areas of your body then yoga is the right choice for you. You don’t have to roll out of bed everyday feeling like Frankenstein. Instead, trust that improving the capability of your spine will have lasting positive effects on your body and quality of life. 

be exactly where you are today

Remember not be discouraged by the state of your current flexibility, everyone starts somewhere and I promise with consistency in your practice you will begin to see the little changes over time. Gymnast-level flexibility is not required!

yoga improves posture

Try to think of the body as one connected piece. If you are stiff or in pain in one area, the body will compensate somewhere else. In terms of the spine, this can really effect your posture. Yoga teaches amazing body mechanics which can translate into every day life as improved posture.

This benefit of yoga is relevant today for those who spend a lot of time sitting at a computer or looking down at their phones. Frequent yoga practice can help prevent permanent changes in the structure of your spine that can occur with repetitive poor posture.

yoga decreases inflammation

When we endure an injury to our backs our bodies initiate an inflammatory response to that area. Whereas this does serve a purpose to protect the area, it also increases pain at the site due to increased pressure to the area of injury. The chemicals that are released during the inflammation process can be quite damaging to our bodies, increasing the risk for ailments such as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimers, and psoriasis_⁽³⁾.

There is a wealth of research proving yoga’s ability to decrease inflammation in the body. Backed with bloodwork, consistent yoga practice significantly reduces the amount of inflammatory chemicals in the body, which can then decrease pain and discomfort_⁽⁴⁾.

yoga decreases stress that comes along with back pain

Yoga is great for your spine but it is also great for your mental health and chronic pain can weight heavy on anyone.

It is no surprise that dealing with chronic back pain (>3mos.) can lead to stress and even depression. Waking up every day greeted with discomfort doesn’t exactly inspire refreshment and positivity. During times of stress, physical or mental, we release the hormone cortisol which is known to have negative effects on the body_⁽¹⁾. The mindfulness and meditative properties of a yoga practice effectively lower cortisol levels and help us to better cope with the frustrations that come along with chronic back pain.

Give it a shot and you will experience the benefits for yourself. Yoga is great for your spine and with consistent practice every day tasks with feel much easier to accomplish.