My back and I have a love-hate relationship. I love it. But, on some occasions, like when I’m seated at my desk for longer than I should be, my back hates me.
As the working week goes by, I can feel my shoulders getting closer to my ears and the muscles in my back getting tighter as they try to account for my sometimes slumped posture. Poor, I know.
But that’s why I try to break up this sedentary habit by exercising most mornings, going for a short stroll during my lunch break and fitting in simple stretching sessions whenever I can.
So, after scouring the internet in search of some back pain-banishing inspiration, I spotted this 10-minute back pain relief yoga flow from qualified teacher Mady Morrison, which has 17M views (and counting).
After rolling out my yoga mat and getting stuck in, here’s what I found and just why I’ll be bookmarking this stretch session to try again.
Watch Mady Morrison's 10-minute yoga session
Compiled by yoga teacher Morrison, this 10-minute yoga class is designed to release tension in your upper, middle, and lower back. And after trying it out, I can confirm that it does just that.
The 10-minute class contains 12 moves, many of which are known for being the best exercises if you have lower back pain, like the super satisfying child’s pose, cat-cow, thread the needle, sphinx, and a forward fold. The session also ends with a deep relaxation pose, which involves lying on your back.
You’ll hold or perform each pose for 30 seconds before enjoying a 10-second rest. Just know that there are no cues on how to do these exercises. Instead, Morrison demonstrates how to do each move during your rest period—so take note.
I could move more deeply into the poses
Minutes. That’s how long it took to feel the tightness and tension in my body start to shift. I noticed this especially after doing the thread the needle move a few times, as I could feel my shoulders sink closer to the floor with each twist.
I’m a big believer in moving my body to feel great. But this 10-minute yoga flow not only helped give me a spurt of energy and a few moments of relief, and it showed me first-hand the benefits yoga can bring and in such a short time.
It didn’t just relieve tension in my back
This yoga workout does what it says on the tin: helps to relieve pain in your upper, middle and lower back. For example, cat/cow helped me to achieve full spinal flexion, while the forward fold helped to relieve pressure from my lower back.
But some exercises went one step further. For example, sinking into child’s pose helped to lower my heart rate and loosen up my tight hip flexors. The thread the needle pose, which involved extending one leg out to the side, targeted my hips and back.
While the seated twist helped to stretch my abdominal muscles, shoulders and back. So this powerful yoga flow goes way beyond just making your spine happy.
One 10-minute stint won’t rid back pain forever
I have tried many different exercises for back pain. From cat-cow (a firm fave) to thread the needle (another brilliant exercise in my back pain-banishing repertoire).
The same goes for mobility exercises to ease tightness and tension in your hips and back. But I’ve learned that there is no secret cure to keeping non-specific back pain, like my own, at bay.
Instead, I find a mix of factors come into play — like sitting less and moving more, managing stress and doing brilliant back pain stretches, like the options included in this yoga flow, little and often. That’s why I’ll make this stretching routine a mainstay in my stretching routine.
More from Tom’s Guide
- I tried these 10 physical therapist-approved stretches to ease back pain — these are the exercises that actually made a difference
- I did this exercise for a week — and it dramatically helped my back pain
- This 6-move stretching routine boosts your mobility and offsets the effects of sitting
