The #1 worst stretch for your back is the Double Knees to Chest.
This is a very common stretch and a lot of the time it is recommended to people who have back pain.
People who perform this exercise bring their knees towards their chest and really pull with their hands to get what they think is a good stretch but in reality it is hurting their back. Plus they might even bring their heads up off the floor which causes more damage to their back.
With this particular stretch, what it ends up doing is it puts a high load and stress on the lower back because your back flattens out. Whenever this particular movement occurs, it increases the risk of injury. Even worse, it drastically increases the risk of re-injury, which is why you want to avoid this movement at all costs.
Do This Instead from the New Fix My Back Pain System…
What we can do instead of the Double Knees to Chest Exercise is the Cat and Dog Stretch.
To perform this stretch, start by getting into a 4 point position. Then drop your head and round out your back like an angry cat. Focus on rounding up through that mid back. Then in a slow and controlled manner, lift your head up and drop your stomach. Remember to keep your arms straight.
The cat and dog stretch is excellent when it comes to working on improving mobility through the hips and movement throughout the whole spine.
When it comes to your lower back, there are specific movements that we need to improve. One of the movements is mobility of the back, especially the mid back. A lot of times in that mid back, people end up being really stiff and they need to improve that movement in order to decrease the stress in the back.
You would do this particular stretch for 1 set of 5 repetitions and then you can progress to 10 repetitions. Now that you know how to perform this stretch, you will have a great way to alleviate some of the pain in your back.
