3 Stretches for a Bad Lower Back

Hey everyone! Normally I write some long post about investing or some other topic I find interesting. Here's something a little out of the ordinary from me.

A few days ago, I wrote a post about doing something that you love in order to give your life meaning. I mentioned in there that I have a broken back and a few people asked me about it.

My back was broken about 1 year ago and it's a pretty debilitating injury. It makes working very difficult (since I work entirely on the computer and need to spend a lot of time sitting). It also makes it difficult to do one of the things that I enjoy most in the world which is lifting weights.

Since the injury, I've adopted a hardcore stretching routine. Right now, it's one main cycle that I run through and it's all YouTube knowledge that I've picked up. I have taken some of the energy that I put toward weight lifting and shifted it to the focus of improving my flexibility and gaining some more core strength through yoga.

I also picked up some SPORTS tokens recently and started curating on here (sportstalk) for a little mix up from my usual time curating on SteemLeo. I'm not big into sports, but I love staying active in other ways like lifting and yoga. So I figured what the hell, might as well share a few of my favorite stretches.

Single Leg Hamstring Stretch

This is a simple single leg hamstring stretch. Most people would be surprised to find out that your hamstrings contribute greatly to your overall back health. If you keep those hammy's loose and stretch them regularly, you'll notice a big difference, especially when you're sitting down.

Just lay on your back with your feet on the ground and knees up, then lift one leg at a time. Optionally wrap your hands around your hamstrings and give a gentle pull to increase the stretch. You can also use a towel if you're at a more beginner level and can't stretch far enough to reach with your hands.

Criss-Cross Hamstring Stretch

admittedly, I forgot the name of this one. This is just the name I gave it 🤷🏼‍♀️

Just lay on your back, cross your leg over your opposite knee, lift your feet off the ground and stretch. This is a great stretch for the glutes and to unlock your hips. If you want a little extra hamstring stretch, then straighten your bottom leg and stretch your foot to the sky.

Knee to Chest

Another easy one. Just lay on your back and pick your knees up, then gently hug them into your chest. Feels great on the glutes and lower back.

I was thinking about doing a video of a few yoga routines that I do and maybe even some of the rehab lifts I do at the gym. Lemme know if this was interesting at all. It's a lot different than what I usually write about, but change is always fun.

Pro Tip: get a yoga mat and put it next to your desk (if you work on the computer a lot... and hey, we're all steemians, so that's probably true for most of us)... it's one of the best life hacks I can offer. It's a constant reminder to take breaks and stretch.