If the lower back pain you're experiencing is making you feel older than you really are, reassess your lifestyle. Being desk-bound and confined to an uncomfortable chair on a daily basis might be triggering the pain. To get some relief, sit on a yoga ball or stability ball. It allows you to move more freely, it activates your core and lower body stabilizer muscles, and it forces you to maintain good posture because there are no back or arm rests. Before you know it, your back pain will be gone and your tummy will be tighter.
Because sitting on a yoga ball can be tiring, start out sitting on the ball for a few minutes per day. As you get stronger, gradually increase the duration.
Use a yoga ball that's meant for your height. The ball must be large enough so you can maintain a 90-degree angle at your knees and hips -- deflate or inflate the ball if needed.
Check your form in a mirror and if needed, lightly bounce on the ball to automatically align your upper body.
Consult your doctor before sitting on a yoga ball, especially if you have injuries or health conditions.
Avoid sitting on a yoga ball if you have a back injury.
Step 1
Position your buttocks on the middle of a yoga ball and evenly divide your weight on your hips.
Step 2
Put your feet on the floor and spread them slightly wider than hip-width apart to help you maintain your balance. Your knees should be bent at a 90-degree angle and even to hip level or slightly below hip level.
Step 3
Push your shoulders back and down, slightly push your chest out and pull your tummy in to support your lower back and stabilize your torso. Avoid rounding your back -- maintain the natural curve of your spine.
Tips
Tips
Tips
Warnings
Warnings
References
Tips
- Because sitting on a yoga ball can be tiring, start out sitting on the ball for a few minutes per day. As you get stronger, gradually increase the duration.
- Use a yoga ball that's meant for your height. The ball must be large enough so you can maintain a 90-degree angle at your knees and hips -- deflate or inflate the ball if needed.
- Check your form in a mirror and if needed, lightly bounce on the ball to automatically align your upper body.
Warnings
- Consult your doctor before sitting on a yoga ball, especially if you have injuries or health conditions.
- Avoid sitting on a yoga ball if you have a back injury.
Writer Bio
Kimberly Caines is a well traveled model, writer and licensed physical fitness trainer who was first published in 1997. Her work has appeared in the Dutch newspaper "De Overschiese Krant" and on various websites. Caines holds a degree in journalism from Mercurius College in Holland and is writing her first novel.