FitnessWorkouts

The 5 Best Yoga Poses to Relieve Lower Back Pain

Explore yoga for lower back pain relief. Discover effective poses to ease discomfort and enhance your overall spinal health.

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Photo: Getty Images/ PixelCatchers
Published Feb 20, 2024

Written by 

Katherine Englishman

Statistically speaking, there’s a good chance you or someone you know has experienced back pain. In fact, back pain is one of the most common reasons why people see a doctor or miss work, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Experts in This Article

Lindsay Mayock

physical therapist and yoga teacher

While severe back pain can certainly keep you homebound—or at least horizontal for a bit—there’s a wide spectrum of back pain that can crop up as anything from nagging aches and pains to more serious chronic conditions that can take a toll on your body and mind.

But there are plenty of reasons to remain optimistic if you experience back pain—chief among them is the benefit of utilizing a safe and supportive yoga practice to relieve that pain.

“Movement is medicine,” says Lindsay Mayock, DPT, a physical therapist and yoga teacher who employs yoga to treat her patients.

The question is, exactly what kind of yoga is best for lower back pain relief and can it really help? Ahead, we’ll answer all those questions and more. So roll out your yoga mat and keep reading!

Is it safe to do yoga with lower back pain?

Although back pain is complex and unique to every individual, the short answer is yes, it’s safe to do yoga with lower back pain. In fact, Mayock says she’s seen many of her patients “finally get out of chronic back pain through yoga”.

“In my view as a physical therapist who uses yoga for back pain a lot, it can strike a really nice balance of both stability and mobility,” Mayock says.

While it’s always best to see a specialist to provide a correct diagnosis and treatment plan for your back pain, a gentle yoga practice can bring the relief, stretch, and strength you need to move toward feeling better. But don’t push yourself too far.

“It’s safe to move through ranges of motion that are available to you, and yoga can help build that range of motion,” Mayock says. “The practice will have to be tailored to the person. This is where a specialist is great because back pain can be more nuanced, so sometimes it’s important to get the pain under control first before doing yoga.”

The benefits of yoga for lower back pain

The fundamentals of yoga poses are also some of the best tools to manage and treat back pain: mobility, stability, and deep breathing.

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“From a physiological perspective, yoga is dynamic and strengthening, which are really good for pain of any sort,” Mayock says.

Even though pain or tension can be the most obvious sensations you experience with back pain, weak muscles are correlated with tight muscles, which can be a common underlying issue that perpetuates the pain cycle. And, the biggest physical benefits of doing yoga are the big stretch and increased muscle tone for better, all-over support.

How to reduce lower back pain with yoga

When it comes to managing—and ultimately reducing—back pain of any kind, the best tool in your yoga toolbox is your breath. Along with seeking professional support and using mindful movement to improve strength and length in your muscles, deep diaphragmatic breathing (or belly breathing, as it’s sometimes called) is a powerful way to bridge the gap between body and mind.

“When people are in pain, their breath gets shallow, which amplifies the stress response,” Mayock says. “Coming into a deeper breath is going to calm the nervous system and increase those healthy hormones that help to treat pain from within.”

“It’s safe to move through ranges of motion that are available to you, and yoga can help build that range of motion.” —Lindsay Mayock, DPT

The best yoga poses for lower back pain

1. Child’s pose (Balasana)

With many points of contact on the floor, your spine in neutral, and gravity to assist your entire body into a supported rest, child’s pose is a great starting point to connect with body and breath when experiencing back pain.

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It also provides a hip and lower back stretch without doing any extreme movement. (If you need an even gentler option, check out these child’s pose modifications!)

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  1. 1.
    Begin on your hands and knees in tabletop position and take a deep breath in.
  2. 2.
    Exhale and sink your hips back onto your heels, spreading your knees wide enough apart to fit your torso between your thighs.
  3. 3.
    Inhale and reach your arms forward to lengthen your spine.
  4. 4.
    Exhale and relax your entire body down into the floor.
  5. 5.
    Stay here for 3 to 5 rounds of breath, or as long as 5 minutes.

2. Low lunge with yoga blocks (Anjaneyasana)

The low lunge stretches your front hip muscles, lengthens your psoas muscle (the deep core muscles that connects your spine to your pelvis), and invites in a very low-intensity balance challenge to build core strength and stability.

Using yoga blocks offers more support in this pose, but feel free to put your hands on your hips and not use the yoga blocks for balance if you want more of a challenge.

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  1. 1.
    Begin on your hands and knees in tabletop position. Place each hand on top of a vertical yoga block.
  2. 2.
    Press your hands into the blocks and step your right foot forward to the top of your mat.
  3. 3.
    Bend your right knee to a 90-degree angle.
  4. 4.
    Squeeze your inner thighs toward each other to stabilize your pelvis.
  5. 5.
    Inhale to elongate your spine.
  6. 6.
    Stay in the pose for 3 to 5 rounds of breath, then switch sides and repeat.

3. Side plank modification (Vasisthasana)

This modified side plank pose elongates the side of your body to create space in your spine, while the balancing aspect builds strength and stability along the underside of your body. It can also open up your chest and help tone your upper back.

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  1. 1.
    Begin on hands and knees in a tabletop position.
  2. 2.
    Keep your left hand and left shin down on the mat as you inhale and open up your chest, lift your right arm, and stretch your right leg back and down onto the floor.
  3. 3.
    Exhale and press your bottom leg and hand down to stabilize your body.
  4. 4.
    Inhale and stretch your top arm alongside your top ear.
  5. 5.
    Stay here for 3 to 5 breaths, then repeat on the other side.

4. Standing wide-legged forward fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)

Decrease pressure on your spine while you release your hamstrings and inner thighs in a standing wide-legged forward bend. This pose is a wonderful way to gently draw your spine down for more space and length, with the added benefit of calming your nervous system.

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  1. 1.
    From a standing position step your feet about 3 to 4 feet apart.
  2. 2.
    Inhale to elongate your spine and exhale as you bend forward at tyour hips and let your head and arms hang gently.
  3. 3.
    Press your palms into the mat. (You can place your hands on yoga blocks instead of on the mat if needed.)
  4. 4.
    Gently press your feet down into the mat for stability.
  5. 5.
    Stay here for about five rounds of breath.
  6. 6.
    Place your hands on your hips to slowly return to standing.

5. Legs up the wall pose (Viparita Karani)

The ultimate pose for relaxation, legs up the wall pose rejuvenates your legs, hips, and entire torso by providing whole-body support. However, it does bring your spine into a slight backbend, so you can counter this by grabbing hold of opposite elbows overhead to keep a neutral spine and lengthen the side of your body and psoas muscles.

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Tip: You can also place your legs up on a chair if a wall is unavailable.

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  1. 1.
    Place your yoga mat perpendicular to a wall and sit with your left side against the wall.
  2. 2.
    Gently turn your body to the left and carefully swing your legs up the wall.
  3. 3.
    Lower your back to the floor and lie down. Rest your shoulders and head on the floor.
  4. 4.
    Inhale and grab opposite elbows overhead and exhale to relax your body completely.
  5. 5.
    Take deep breaths into your belly and long, slow exhalations to calm your nervous system.
  6. 6.
    Stay here for 1 to 5 minutes.

FAQ

1. How often should you do yoga if you have lower back pain?

Mayock recommends doing the gentle yoga stretches for back pain above three to five times per week, or as needed.

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“They’re meant to provide relief,” Mayock says. “So, do them when you need relief.”

2. Should I do yoga if my lower back hurts?

Yoga and diaphragmatic breathing can be a great remedy, as long as the pain isn’t too great.

“Movement is really medicinal for back pain,” Mayock says. “Yoga can be a part of it, but the question is more nuanced.”

Start by practicing gentle poses that feel accessible to you, and always exit a pose—and loop your doctor or physical therapist in—if you feel pain.

3. Which yoga poses aren’t good for lower back pain?

Because not all back pain is the same, there’s a wide variety of yoga poses that can be helpful or harmful depending on the nature and severity of your back pain. However, gentle yoga poses that don’t take you to any extreme movement can help release tension and build strength that is useful for reducing back pain.

4. How long does yoga take to fix lower back pain?

Back pain is individual and complex, according to Mayock, so there’s no specific amount of time you can count on your back pain disappearing.

However, you can use yoga and (and medical treatment) to learn more about your body and the pain, so that you can “empower yourself to be able to go into a yoga class and make the modifications you know you need,” Mayock says. “It’s a management process.”

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FitnessWorkouts

Adult Ballet is on the Rise—And Yes, You Should Totally Try it

Here's what to know before your first class.

Published Feb 26, 2025

Written by 

Lauren Wingenroth

Maybe it's the reemergence of balletcore, or maybe we're all just trying to discover our inner child, but ballet classes for adults are majorly on the rise. 

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Former Miami City Ballet dancer Miriam Landis has seen the adult ballet boom firsthand in her adult beginner classes at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School in Seattle. “My classes have grown up to the point where I’ll have 50 people in one class,” she says. “Especially since COVID, people really have this need for connection and shared sense of purpose. It’s really different from going to an exercise class—it’s a little bit of a meditation.” 

While many adults are finding community, creativity and purpose in ballet classes, there can also be an intimidation factor. After all, it’s an art form often depicted as elite and exclusive. But Landis says the vibe of most adult classes couldn’t be further from the cutthroat worlds of Center Stage or Black Swan. 

“People do feel like it has an exclusive aura,” she says. “But we’re really trying to include rather than exclude. I’ve had students say they were always too scared to come, but they were so glad they did. When people discover it, it really becomes something meaningful in their life.”

Inspired to hit the ballet barre? Here’s what veteran teachers and adult ballet regulars think you should know before you go, plus the benefits you can expect to get out of ballet as an adult. 

What to know before your first adult ballet class

“Beginner” doesn’t always mean beginner.

Confusingly, just because a class is labeled “beginner” doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for first timers, says Landis. Instead, look for classes called “absolute beginner” or “fundamentals” to learn the basics. “It’s like a language,” says Landis. “It’s not like a yoga class where you can go in and follow along.” 

If you aren’t sure, call the studio to ask if a class is intended for first timers. Or, some studios will even let you observe a class before you try it, says Dawn Hillen, who teaches absolute beginner ballet at The Ailey Extension in New York City. “Go see the teacher, and watch how they interact with the students,” she says. “That’s the single best way to know if it’s a good fit for you.”

It isn’t a fitness class.

Yes, ballet is a form of exercise. But a ballet class is not a fitness class. Plenty of first timers come in with that mindset, only to have their understanding deepen over time, says Landis. “There’s a real artistic aspect to it that doesn’t exist in an exercise class,” she says. “You’re going to be thinking about every part of your body, not just executing a step, but how you execute the step; the quality of it.” (FYI: Though barre classes often claim to be ballet-inspired, real ballet classes are actually very different.) 

Expect your ballet teacher to speak in metaphors and imagery more than you may be used to. (For instance, Landis might tell students to hold their hand as if they have “a million diamonds on their fingers.”) There’s also the focus on moving to the music, and on performing for an imagined audience. “Everything is taught based on how your audience is going to receive it,” Landis says. “How are you going to offer your cheek to the person sitting in the third ring so that what you’re projecting reaches them?” 

Though you’ll likely gain strength, coordination and flexibility from a ballet practice, ultimately ballet is about learning a craft, says Landis. 

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You don’t have to splurge on leotards—unless you want to.

If your adult ballet dreams involve a leotard, pink tights and a ballet skirt, that’s great. Hillen says for some students, feeling like they look the part enhances their experience. But if you don’t feel comfortable in traditional ballet attire—or you don’t want to spend money for an activity you aren’t sure you’ll stick with—she says anything you can move in is fine to wear. Form-fitting activewear is ideal, she says, so that teachers can see the alignment of your body, but she understands that some beginners might feel better in looser clothes. 

Shoes are a different story. Street shoes are typically not allowed in dance studios, so you’ll either want to invest in ballet shoes (jazz shoes are also fine, says Hillen) or wear socks. But be aware that socks can be slippery, says Landis, who often sends new dancers to the school’s lost and found to try and find a pair that’ll work for them.

Be respectful, but don’t worry too much about “ballet etiquette.” 

If you’ve watched enough ballet movies, you may be familiar with the concept that ballet culture contains countless unspoken rules and etiquette norms. While there’s some truth to that, in the low-stakes world of an adult ballet class, you don’t need to worry about much that isn’t common sense or similar to what you’d encounter in a fitness class.

For instance, you’ll be in close proximity to others, so be mindful about personal hygiene and not wearing heavy perfumes, suggests Landis. Arrive early, try to avoid having to leave and reenter the class, and keep your phone in your bag and on silent. 

Spatial awareness is key: Avoid standing too close to anyone else, or standing directly in front of anyone while working in the center of the room. Landis says that it’s common for regulars to use the same barre spot during every class, so it’s a nice courtesy to ask someone if a spot is available before parking yourself there. And when you’re doing steps that travel across the floor, “maintain the traffic pattern, even if you mess up the steps,” says Hillen. “If you come to a dead stop and people are traveling behind you, people can get injured.”

It’s customary to thank your teacher (and pianist, if there is one) at the end of class, but Hillen recommends also saying hello before class begins, to introduce yourself, explain that you’re new, and flag any injuries you may have. 

Embrace the corrections. 

Unlike in a yoga class, where you may get one or two hands-on adjustments, or a fitness class, where the coach may give some general form suggestions, in ballet, teachers give individualized corrections near-constantly. 

When a teacher gives you a correction, rather than dwelling on the fact that you’re doing something wrong, try to see it as an opportunity to learn and grow, says Hillen. Often, she says, teachers give corrections because they see potential and they want to help you reach it. “If a teacher turns their eye to you, it’s a gift,” she says. That said, if you feel the environment of the class is such that corrections aren’t well-intended or are making you uncomfortable, you may want to find a teacher who is a better fit for you.

“I always tell students that they can mess up in front of me; that this is a safe space and I’m here to support their journey,” says Landis. “Even if teachers aren’t skilled at communicating that, their role is to help you learn the skill you’re there to learn.” 

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The benefits of adult ballet classes 

Practicing ballet as an adult has myriad benefits, depending on what you’re hoping to get out of it. First, there’s the physical: A ballet class is a form of anaerobic exercise, says Hillen, meaning there will be short bursts of movement that get you huffing and puffing, followed by rest as you learn the next combination. She says ballet also develops strength, flexibility, mobility, coordination, balance and good posture. 

There are also the mental benefits, she says, like greater spatial and body awareness. “You’re constantly being asked to remember new things,” Hillen says. “So you’re making a healthier brain by learning something quickly and producing it physically.”

For Beverly Lippman, a regular at Hillen’s class, ballet helps her “focus on the moment,” she says. “Everything else goes away. It’s a very restorative space.” Landis agrees. “The ability to slow down, listen to music, be in your body and be present is incredibly valuable,” she says. “That is so missing from our general lifestyle.” 

Often, adult ballet classes are highly social, welcoming spaces, says Adrienne Chan, who takes Landis’ class at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. “I’ve made a lot of friends—it’s been wonderful,” she says. “Everyone cheers each other on.”

For Melissa Castañeda, who teachers adult beginner ballet at the Ballet Hispánico School of Dance in New York City, there’s power in learning that you are capable of something new as an adult. “It’s always a joy to see students discovering something they didn’t know about themselves,” she says. “It’s common for people to discover that their bodies are able to move in ways they never thought they could move. Your confidence will increase if you’re training with a good instructor who allows you to discover that in yourself.”

“They’re just immeasurable,” says Hillen on the benefits of ballet. “It expands your life.”

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