Pre-Workout Stretches to Protect the Back

One part of your body that you shouldn’t forget to stretch is your back. All it takes is five minutes to do a back warm-up, preparing it for the cardio or weightlifting workout ahead. Read on to learn more about specific exercises.

How Your Spine Moves During Exercise

Your warm-up needs to include motions that you wouldn’t normally do on a day-to-day basis. For example, the neck and lower back are naturally extended backward, so you should try to gently flex them forward.

Foam-Roller Back Extension

1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet planted. Place a foam roller just above your lower back where your bottom ribs are.
2. Lie back on the roller and reach your arms up overhead.
3. Gently bend backward over the roller while exhaling, pushing your arms back and toward the floor.
4. Come back up, and move the foam roller up your back a few inches.
5. Repeat this until the roller is in line with your shoulders.
6. Perform this entire series twice.

Toe Touch

This exercise does more than help you warm up your back. It also stretches some of the muscles around it, such as your hamstrings, which may also be tight.

1. Stand with your feet together without locking your knees.
2. Reach your arms up overhead and look up.
3. Fold forward and reach your hands toward the floor. At the same time, push your hips back and shift your weight into your heels.
4. When you feel that you can’t reach any lower, roll up slowly and reach your arms up.
5. Do 15 of these.

Rock-Back Rotation

This exercise prevents your lower back from moving too much. It emphasizes rotation of the middle segment of your spine, known as your thoracic spine. This segment of your spine accounts for two-thirds of the movement in your back.

1. Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
2. Rock your butt back onto your heels, keeping your hands planted.
3. Put your right hand behind your head and turn your shoulders and head to the right as far as possible as you exhale.
4. Come back to the center and switch sides.
5. Do 10 rotations on each side.

Cat Stretch

Gently arch and round your back in this stretch.

1. Get on the floor on your hands and knees.
2. Round your back and breathe out through your mouth.
3. Then, arch your back and inhale through your nose.
4. Do 10 repetitions.

Ladders

In this exercise, you’ll reach your arms up and pretend you’re climbing a ladder to practice bending your spine side to side.

1. Stand with a tall posture and reach your arms high up.
2. Reach with your arms, one at a time, alternating each time. The goal is to reach as high as possible, moving your shoulders and spine to help you reach higher.
3. Do 10 reaches with each arm.

World’s Greatest Stretch

This exercise helps you warm up your back, and it also stretches your hips and shoulders.

1. Take a large, lunging step forward with your right foot.
2. Bend your right knee to drop down into a lunge position.
3. Place your left hand on the floor.
4. Turn your shoulders and torso toward the right leg, and reach your right arm up toward the ceiling.
5. Do five repetitions on each side.

Spider-Man Stretch With Rotation

Stretch your hips, back, and shoulders with this all-encompassing stretch.

1. Start in a push-up position.
2. Plant your left foot next to your left hand.
3. Turn to the left and raise your left arm up toward the ceiling.
4. Return to a push-up position.
5. Repeat on the right side.
6. Do 10 repetitions on each side.

The Takeaway

• Stretching is important before a workout in order to help prevent injury.
• Back stretches can prepare your spine for the various ways it will need to move during exercise.
• Make sure to include motions that aren’t part of your everyday movements when stretching before a workout.