new back tips – cat/cow exercise, transition from child’s pose to cobra position

All joints in the body stay healthier when they are aligned properly and you move them frequently. Consider joint movement as a process of joint lubrication, and one that prevents movement-limiting scar from forming.

In fact, one way the joints in the spine are different than other joints is that they don’t wear out like hips, knees, and shoulders… instead, they rust out when movement is lacking.

Nowhere in the body is movement more commonly lacking than in the middle back, or what is known as the thoracic spine. Most of us use the middle back like a bridge between two moving parts, the neck and the lower back. However, if the middle back does not move normally, the neck and the lower back eventually suffer as a result.

So how do we get the middle back moving? One simple way is using a cat/cow exercise to flex and extend your thoracic spine. 

This simple “wagging“ exercise of the middle back serves as a perfect transition between the strong flexion of a child’s pose and the deep extension of a cobra position — stay tuned over the next couple weeks for a training video on this highly effective back stretching sequence.

From the down on all fours position, engage your core… That is, squeeze your abs to stabilize your lumbar spine.

Now take a deep breath in as you let the middle back sink down toward the floor into what is known as the cow position. As long as you keep stabilizing your lower back with your core, this will serve as a valuable and refreshing extension exercise of the thoracic spine.

As you breathe out, lift your back towards the sky and drop your head down, forming the cat position. Kind of like turning your body into a parachute as you flex the thoracic spine upward.

Simply repeat these movements 8 to 16 times in the regular rhythm of breathing until you feel more free and flexible in your middle back.

A simple variation of the cat/cow exercise starts with your hands inverted… That is, your fingers pointing toward your knees. This creates a great stretch of some hard to get to joints in the hands and the wrists. It’s OK if this is reasonably uncomfortable, but don’t do it if it creates sharp pain.

That’s it! You now know how to wake up that middle back of yours with healthy, spine lubricating movement. 

Remember, when your alignment is less than perfect and/or you have suffered recent injury, joints get stuck, soft tissues have memory for what doesn’t work, and we can help. 

Contact us at new back chiropractic today. We can help you move better to feel better for life