It's a common misconception that we need to assume perfect spinal alignment 24/7 to keep our backs healthy.
In reality, rigidly sitting or standing bolt upright fatigues the tiny stabilizer muscles supporting the spine, which can result in overuse injuries.
A better approach is to move your back regularly, bending it forward, extending it back, twisting around and flexing side-to-side.
My favorite way to quickly mobilize my spine is the cat-cow exercise.
This beginner-friendly stretch involves flexing and extending the spine while on your hands and knees, matching your movements with your breath.
When feeling especially stiff, I'll spend a couple of minutes at the start or end of the day performing this move to ease tension.
I also use it with my coaching clients before a core workout and include it in full-body mobility flows to improve body alignment.
How to do the cat-cow stretch
Time: 1-2min
- Start on your hands and knees, with your hands directly below your shoulders, and your knees directly below your hips.
- Inhale and arch your back into the cow pose, dropping your belly toward the floor and lifting your chest.
- Exhale and round your spine into the cat pose, pushing your palms into the floor and dropping your chin toward your chest.
- Move between each pose in time with your breath.
