10 Exercises To Loosen Up Your Back

Here is a routine for you to try with 10 drills to loosen and revitalize your back, torso, and hips. (Plus, an extra 4 challenges at the end to test your cross-legged position.) Use this quick warm-up routine to take a break from sitting or to warm-up the cross-legged position.

Recommendation: Perform each drill for as long as you want, starting with at least 5 repetitions or 5-60 seconds (per side, where applicable). See below for notes on some of the drills with common corrections.

Routine:

1. Butterfly

Keep soles of feet together and fingers clasped. Pull your heels as close to your perineum as possible.

2. Rock the baby

Place the outside blade of the foot and knee in your elbow creases. Clasp your fingers and rock. If you cannot clasp your fingers, hold the leg and pull it as close to your rib cage as possible.

3. Space ribs, side to side

Use the hands and arms to push your ribs up off of your organs. Move side to side.

4. Flat back good morning

Try to each your navel to the floor. Careful not to go outside of your range.

5. Head to knees

6. Head to floor, hand assisted

7. Torso twists

8. Clapping above and behind

9. Exaggerated pull-throughs

Using the hands, pull your ribcage forward and reach back with your head.

10.Head circles

If you’re looking for more mobility-style warm-up routines, these might help you:

5-MINUTE LOWER BODY WARM-UP

5-MINUTE SHOULDER WARM-UP

5-MINUTE THORACIC WARM-UP