Back Care Yoga: What It Is & Why You Need It

Today we dive into a series where we explore different types of classes that you'll find here at HealthGirl.

Our first article is all about Back Care Yoga - given that over 80% of people will miss work at some point due to back pain, this is a pretty important class for many of our students at every age and stage in their lives. Back pain can be debilitating, and costs billions of dollars in lost wages, healthcare, medication and therapy each year, in addition to the mental toll it takes. Ensuring your spine is in good health is vital to your overall well-being, making this consistently one of our most popular classes.

Whether you've experienced an achy back before, or want to avoid it if you can, this is a fantastic class to gently strengthen and stretch, no matter your ability or activity levels. Many students also find this a great stress reliever, so the benefits are seen beyond physical relief and go deeper into mental health benefits as well.

In this class, we try to prevent back pain by utilizing simple postures and slow transitions to strengthen and stabilize the whole spine - from the sacrum to the top of the neck. We use safe postures, mindful engagement and breathing to move throughout the practice so that those not in acute pain can comfortably practice.

This class chooses from a variety of gentle postures from week to week to give students a chance to relax in the postures and allow their bodies and minds to fully embrace the gentle movements. Modifications are always given and props are highly encouraged so students can be as comfortable as possible. Props are how we create safety and stability in the movements and poses - when we are comfortable, we can more fully relax. This is crucial when dealing with back pain.

This class is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition on its own, but it can be very beneficial for preventing minor back pain when done regularly. Students are always encouraged to listen to their bodies and not do anything that does not feel right within themselves.

As always, talk to your doctor if you are unsure if this class is right for you, and feel free to contact us with any questions.

Currently, we offer Back Care Yoga as part of our AnyTime Studio membership online live on Mondays at 9:00 AM Eastern. Recorded Back care Yoga classes are also available with this unlimited online membership. To try it free for 7 days, visit www.healthgirl.ca/join and start today!

If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected] 

Cheers to your good health,

Meghann