How to free your lower back pain yoga | Made for snowboarders

Help your sore lower back pain from snowboarding with yoga, whether you’ve while snowboarding or haven’t had a rest day in while.

I’ve been getting more lower back pain lately, perhaps due to slowly aging (I’ve reached the last year of my twenties), or teaching more yoga classes lately or perhaps also that we’ve had a lot of snow in Myoko this season (2018/19).

So I thought I’d selfishly create a yoga sequence that both benefits me but that I know many others who also suffer from lower back pain would benefit from. This blog will list you through a yoga sequence of 9 poses that will help relieve your lower back pain, after a big day of riding powder on the mountain.

My other half also suffers from lower back pain, about 2 years ago, I recommended him Jason Crandell’s Lower Back Pain sequence (here’s his blog post), which this sequence is inspired by. Jason’s sequence is more of a maintenance to keep your back pain at bay, or manageable rather than a cure.

I can certainly say that, his back pain has improved and so has his yoga practice. If your back pain is very severe, I’d recommend to see a doctor though!

We’ve had a great season in Myoko, with huge snowfalls, we’ve had about 60+ cm of snow fall in 24 hours, with about 15 metres of snowfall this winter so far and it’s now only mid February! I am not joking, this is quite a normal snowfall for the Myoko and Arai area.

So a big day of riding ahead, if you’re getting first lifts, you’ll be leaning backwards and riding powder pretty much all day, if you have the stamina! Personally I usually finish around lunchtime, that’s the perks of living in the mountains and being obsessed with eating food!

While snowboarding through fresh powder, you’ll probably have to go over a lot of bumps, maybe take a fall or two and squat a lot to get down that mountain. So your body is put under a lot of stress, using muscles that you don’t usually use everyday and well Hello lower back pain.

This is why yoga can really help to soothe your muscles, the best thing about yoga is that certain yoga poses, can target certain areas of your body, while you’re also relaxing and it can help to release tension in those sore muscles in your body.

Another great way to recover faster to snowboard daily, if you’re in Japan, is to go for a onsen. Onsen are natural hot spring baths, they are everywhere in Japan and at most ski resorts, like Myoko. If you’re in Japan, would like to try to Onsen, but don’t know the etiquette or are wondering how to Onsen, here’s a link to a Onsen guide blog that I wrote last week.

Luckily for you, if you’re visiting Myoko and staying in Akakura Onsen village, I teach various classes in various hotels with Onsen (natural hot spring baths), this winter 2018/19 I taught classes at Akakura Park Hotel and Hotel Taiko, which both offer Onsen to the public. If you’re interested in a yoga class, click here for the schedule.

Anyway back to the yoga sequence, I’m sure you’re pretty keen to feel a lot less sore in your lower back so here’s the 9 yoga poses explained below. If you’d like to watch the video, click the link at the top of the blog.

Yoga Sequence to Free Lower Back Pain for Snowboarders

Breathe slowly in each pose, inhaling through the nose and exhale out through the nose.

Hold each pose for x5 breaths, if you’re in a rush, x 10 for a little extra feel.

1. Reclining Hand to Big Toe Pose 1

Lengthen those hamstrings which feel sore from squatting on your snowboard all day.

Lying down, facing up, place a little strength into your left leg, pointing the left toes up towards the sky. Bring your right leg up, place your hands behind your right thigh, under the right knee. Your knee can be bent here, however press your right foot’s toes, towards your face, the heel of the right foot up towards the sky, the knee pressing away, backwards, away from your face.

Don’t forget to do the same on the other side, bringing your right leg up.

2. Reclining Hand to Big Toe Pose 2

Lengthening the hamstrings and feeling a bit of a hip opener at the same time, relieve the hips and lower back in this pose.

Kind of the same as the last pose, but you’ll be bringing that leg down and out to the side.

Lying down, facing up, place a little strength into your left leg, pointing the left toes up towards the sky. Bring your right leg up, place your right hand behind your outer right thigh, below the knee. Bring your right leg out, towards the right, it can fly higher up from the floor. Your knee can be bent here, however press your right foot’s toes, towards your face, the heel of the right foot up towards the sky, the knee pressing away, backwards, away from your face.

Don’t forget here again, to do this on your left leg.

3. Reverse Pigeon Pose

Stretch those glutes and gently let you hips open a little too.

Bringing both legs down on the floor, while lying down. Bring your right foot, above your left knee, clasp both hands behind your left thigh, left hand on the outer side of your left leg and right hand against your inner left thigh. Pressing that left knee in towards your face, pressing the right knee away from your face.

Do this again, on your right leg.

4. Seated Cat Pose

Stretch the spine while seated.

Bring yourself into a seated, crossed legged position, easy pose. Then pressing your shoulders down, bring your belly back, as you exhale. Inhale, bring your shoulders back, to straight and relax the belly.

You can repeat this x 5.

5. Seated Cow Pose

Stretch and lengthen the spine.

Still in your seated cross legged position, as you inhale, bring your shoulders behind your, feeling your chest puffing up, spine with a slight backbend to it, belly in and your head back, if you don’t have a sore neck. Then as you exhale, come back to your seated position.

You can repeat this x 5.

6. Downdog

Lengthen your whole body and stretch your spine.

Press your palms down, from your seated position, bring both legs behind you, put yourself into a plank position. From there press your bum up towards the sky, and a little further back. Bend your knees as much as you need to, feel your lower back straighten as you press your chest down further towards the mat, press your fingers down into the mat and relax your head.

7. Forearm Plank

A little work for your core, to strengthen it to support your lower back a little better.

From Downdog, you can press your forearms down, press your feet back as you’re in forearm plank position. Stay here for about x 5 breaths.

8. Pigeon Pose

Stretch those hips out in this pose.

From forearm plank pose, bring yourself into a table top position, hands under your shoulder joint and knees below your hip joint. Bring your right knee, towards your right wrist, bring your right foot, up towards your left wrist. Bring your left leg back and settle into pigeon pose.

Do the same thing on your left side.

9. Low Lunge Quad Stretch

Stretch your thigh muscle out.

Get into a low lunge position, bring yourself on your hands and knees, bring your right leg up to the sky and up and in between your hands towards the front of the mat. From there, bring your hand up to your right hand by the right foot, left hand up behind you, bring your left foot up and clasp it with your right hand. You should bring the foot, towards the left butt cheek. If this is too much on your knee, don’t bother and just stay in low lunge for a few breaths.

Want to practice this on your phone while offline?

I’ll send you a free PDF of the sequence above, sign up HERE to gain access now.

Did try this Lower Back Pain Yoga snowboarders? Let me know in the comments below!