Learn to Backbend for Spinal Health

A backbend is any movement where the spine bends backwards. Commonly used in dance, yoga, gymnastics, or figure skating, backbends help to stretch out the back and spine while opening up the chest. Typically, backbends help to work multiple muscle groups, focusing on the core, back muscles, arms, and legs for a total body workout. This exercise can help alleviate back pain or spinal tightness caused by sitting for long periods.

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How-to

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Place your hands by your head, fingertips pointing towards your shoulders and palms flat on the floor.
Push through your shoulders and heels to lift your body. Straighten your arms as much as possible while keeping your core and legs tight.
Hold this position and breathe.

Muscle Worked

Primary Muscle Groups

Lower Back

The low back helps stabilize your spinal column and connects your upper body to your pelvis.

Middle Back

The middle back helps you rotate your torso

Secondary Muscle Groups

Calves

The calves are the muscles at the back of the lower part of your legs

Forearms

The forearms help you grip objects and move your hands, wrists and fingers

Glutes

The glutes help you extend your thighs from the hips and drive you forward.

Hamstrings

The hamstrings flex your knees and extend and rotate your hips

Shoulders

Your shoulders are ball-and-socket joints which connect your arms to your torso

Pro Tips

Try to push your hips toward your shoulders once you are up in your backbend. This will help you stop bending your knees as much to come to a straighter-legged back bend.
Spread your fingers out wide to give yourself more balance and stability in your backbends.
Focus on straightening your elbows. This will help you lift your head off the ground.
Keep your knees pointing forward. Don’t knock the knees in toward each other or let them splay out to the sides. Focus on keeping your knees tracking in line with your toes. This will help ensure that you create a solid foundation for your body once you push up and off the ground into your backbend.

Benefits

Backbends help open up your chest. This can help you hold yourself taller or improve your confidence.
Backbending helps with stress or tightness in the back muscles.
Performing this exercise regularly can help to improve poor posture.
Working on backbends is positively correlated with being in a good mood. Backbending may lead to feelings of increased energy. Opening up through the front of your body while bending your back helps to release tension and relieve stress or worry.

Warm Up & Cool Down

Warm Up

Activate your spine with a cobra stretch to warm up before your backbends.

Lie face-down on a mat. Place your hands on the floor beside your shoulders.
Push your torso up while keeping your pelvis on the floor. Draw your shoulder blades backwards and downwards.
Hold this position, breathing comfortably throughout.

Cool Down

Try a lying knee-to-chest stretch to cool down. This will help reset your spinal position by bending it forward again.

Lie flat on the floor or on a mat with your legs fully stretched out.
Bring both knees into your hands and gently let your arms pull your knees toward your chest. Hold as long as needed. You can also alternate knees if you prefer.

Learn to Backbend for Spinal Health

How-to