A daily, 5-minute stretching routine can be enough to keep common back aches and pains at bay for the active triathlete. Chartered physiotherapist Helen O’Leary has the advice and exercises…
As triathletes, the volume of training that you put your body through is intense, and it’s common to get aches and pains associated with a long period of repetitive exercise.
Not only that but even though you are working with three different disciplines, you are still prone to using a lot of the same muscles groups, in similar ranges.
One of the areas that can take a bit of strain is the back. Both upper and lower back can become stiff or sore after training, particularly running. That isn’t necessarily a problem and can be part and parcel of an intense training regime. However, it can feel unpleasant and demotivating.
It’s very helpful, therefore, to have a 5min stretching routine that you can do on a daily basis, to keep some of the discomfort at bay. You won’t have a lot of time when you’re in the thick of your programme, so keeping it short, simple and frequent can be a great way to actually get down to mobility and stretching.
Doing a routine on a daily basis makes it easier for this to become a habit, whereas ad hoc sessions can be easier to miss. It can help to link it to some other part of your routine – such as first thing in the morning, or when you come in from work.
If you’re experiencing any more severe discomfort or pain that doesn’t respond to simple mobility and stretching exercise then see a health professional, such as a physiotherapist or doctor, to rule out anything more serious and to provide alternative options such as a strength programme.
The benefits of stretching your back on a daily basis
The benefits of stretching your back every day are that you encourage movement through your muscles and joints. Our body is designed for movement but unfortunately, modern lifestyles are sedentary and we don’t move as much as we should.
Movement of the joints lubricates the joints, which provides nourishment for the cartilage inside the joints. Movement also encourages flexibility of the fibrous tissues that surround the joint, ensuring that we maintain enough movement at the joint.
Movement of the muscles, fascia and nervous system, encourages blood flow to muscles, and movement of other circulatory systems such as the lymphatic system which is part of the immune system.
Signs that you need to stretch more are if you are starting to notice aches and pains when you are in one position for too long.
If you choose to stretch every day, and you’re otherwise injury free, we would recommend doing gentle stretches for both upper and lower back which cover a variety of positions – this should incorporate side bending, forward and backwards bending, and rotation.
If you’re not experiencing any pain or injury, then you can incorporate one or two more challenging stretch sessions into your week.
Remember – it is possible to overdo things or injure yourself with aggressive stretching, so it’s important that you really pay attention to your bodily sensations both before and after stretching and make sure that you can tell the difference between the ‘good’ discomfort of stretching versus the ‘bad’ discomfort of overdoing things.
It’s fine to gently stretch your back on a daily basis if you enjoy doing it and feel better after. However, it’s important to take note of how your body feels.
If you have any pain after stretching or you’re trying to stretch out a pain that is not going away, then it’s recommended to consult with a health professional about the right exercises for you.
The best back stretches to do every day
Book openings
This easy supported exercise is great for getting mobility into a stiff upper back.
- Lie on your side with your legs bent up and stacked on top of one another. Make sure you have a couple of cushions under your head to support your spine in a straight line.
- Place your arms outstretched on top of one another in front of your chest.
- Take a breath in, and as you breathe out, reach your top arm up towards the ceiling and behind you. Think of opening your shoulders up towards the ceiling and focus on rotation through the upper back.
- Follow the movement of your hand with your eyes.
- Repeat 5 on each side.
Child’s pose
This exercise is good for lengthening and loosening the muscles of the lower back. If you’re holding a lot of tension in your lower back and the muscles feel tight when you touch them – this one is for you.
- Kneel on the floor with your bottom resting on your heels. Stretch your arms out in front of you and have your head resting on the floor.
- Draw your bottom down towards your heels thinking of tucking your tailbone under.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
Extended child’s pose
This variation of the child’s pose is good for addressing stiffness of the upper back caused by lack of mobility in the spine.
- Start in child’s pose.
- Walk your hands forward until your bottom has to lift away from your heels. Keep walking the arms forward until your bottom is directly over your knees.
- From here, sink the chest down towards the floor – keeping your bottom directly above the knees.
- You should feel a stretch in your upper back.
- Hold for 10-30secs depending on your tolerance.
Cat-Cow
Cat-cow is a classic exercise which is good for almost everyone. This is a whole spine mobility exercise which builds a mind-body connection so you can really get in touch with how good movement is in each section of your back.
- Start on all fours on a mat.
- Have your shoulders above your wrists and your hips above your knees.
- Curl your whole back upwards towards the ceiling by sending your tailbone down towards the backs of your knees and lowering your head to allow your gaze to reach the front of your knees.
- Next, starting from your tailbone, point your tail up towards the ceiling, then arch the lower back, gently sink between the shoulder blades and lift your gaze to look in front of you.
- Repeat 10 times.
Thread the needle
This upper back mobility combines the rotation of the book openings with the rounding and arching movements from your other stretches.
- Stay on all fours.
- Allow there to be a little more weight in your hips than your hands.
- Take one hand and ‘thread’ it underneath you, behind your other arm. Continue reaching that arm through until your shoulders start to turn to follow the movement.
- Hold for a moment.
- Now reverse your position, taking the hand back out from underneath you. Reach the back of the hand towards the ceiling. Your shoulders will open out to follow that arm.
- Keep your hips directly over the knees throughout the movements.
- Change sides.
- You should get a lovely stretch in your upper back doing this exercise.
- Repeat 5 times on each side.
Roll down
- Stand tall, or if you prefer you can stand with your back against the wall.
- Notice where the weight is under your feet and slowly shift the weight forward onto the balls of the feet.
- Allow your upper body to follow your feet.
- Let your arms be heavy as you start to roll body down towards the feet.
- If your back is against the wall, notice the sensations as your spine rolls bit by bit away from the wall.
- At the bottom of the movement let the weight of your arms hang and stretch the lower back.
- Then, take a breath in, press the balls of your feet into the floor as you start to roll yourself back up again, thinking of the spine elongating as you rise.
- Repeat 5 times.
Top image credit: Getty Images