5 exercises to strengthen your spine
What's the story
Keeping a healthy spine is essential, especially for those who are active and posture-sensitive, as nothing impacts spinal health more than posture. Inspired by traditional African practices, these exercises can help improve posture and keep your spine aligned. Adding these exercises to your routine can improve flexibility, relieve back pain and keep your spine strong. Here are five African-inspired posture exercises for better spinal health.
Stretch 1
The graceful giraffe stretch
Inspired by the graceful neck movements of giraffes, the graceful giraffe stretch is a great way to improve your posture. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, arms at your sides. Slowly raise your arms overhead while elongating your neck upwards as if reaching for the sky. Hold for a few seconds before gently lowering your arms back down. This stretch lengthens spine, improves posture.
Bend 2
The elephant trunk bend
The elephant trunk bend mimics the fluid motion of an elephant's trunk swaying side to side. Begin by standing with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and hands on hips. Gradually bend at the waist to one side, allowing your arm to hang freely like an elephant's trunk. Return to center before repeating on the opposite side. This exercise enhances lateral flexibility and strengthens core muscles supporting the spine.
Pose 3
The cheetah sprint pose
Inspired by the swift movements of cheetahs, this pose focuses on dynamic stretching for improved agility and balance. Start in a lunge position with one foot forward and both hands resting on either side of it. Keep the back leg extended behind you like a cheetah readying itself for action. Hold briefly before switching legs swiftly yet smoothly. This exercise aids in strengthening lower body muscles essential for maintaining good posture.
Breathing 4
The lion's roar breathing exercise
Inspired by the powerful roars of lions, the lion's roar breathing exercise is an excellent way to keep your spine healthy. Simply sit in a comfortable position, inhale deeply through the nose and then exhale forcefully through the mouth, mimicking a lion's roar. Repeat this several times to focus on breath control. It reduces tension in shoulders and neck, leading to a healthier spine alignment over time.
Balance 5
The flamingo balance challenge
Channeling flamingos' incredible balancing skills, begin by standing tall, distributing the weight evenly across both feet. Then, slowly shift to a single leg, raising the other knee up to the chest level. Hold for a moment, before returning to the original position. Repeat with the other leg, alternating between them. Practicing this challenge regularly boosts coordination and strengthens stabilizing muscles necessary for maintaining upright postural integrity, ensuring optimal spinal health on a long-term basis.