Back Stretches
Flexopedia: Back
Jump To: Overview | Stretches for Backbending | Stretches for Back Rounding | Stretches for Sidebending | Stretches for Spinal Twisting
Note - this page is currently UNDER CONSTRUCTION so only has a limited number of exercises listed.
When it comes to “back flexibility” or “back stretches,” usually people think of backbends and arching the back - but from a literal standpoint, that actually isn’t a stretch for the back muscles at all. Backbends involve shortening the muscles of the back, and stretching the muscles in the front body (I once had a coach put it as “back bending is really front lengthening” and it blew my mind).
So when we think about our back flexibility in general, we have to remember that this could be referring to any number of different ranges of motion:
Spinal Extension (Backbending) - which isn’t actually a “back stretch,” really this is a “front body stretch”
Spinal Flexion (Rounding) - this is what literally stretches the back muscles
Spinal Lateral Flexion (Sidebending)
Spinal Rotation (Twisting)
So if you’re looking for well-rounded back flexibility, it helps to address each of these ranges of motion.
