You may have heard that strengthening abdominal muscles can help heal lower back pain; strong abdominals save the back muscles a lot of overwork. However, if the back pain is acute and it is even difficult to get down to the mat to do exercises, it is a challenge to know how to start. The purpose of this video is to help you find an easy way to do abdominal exercises without exacerbating back pain. The first 15-minute session starts with the basics: how to get down to and come up from the floor safely and how to engage the abdominal muscles while breathing. Combining physical exercise with yoga therapy, it also offers gentle stretches and relaxation. This first session is available for you to try for free right now. The next sessions carefully build on the first and progress to more dynamic exercises.

This video about abdominal exercises for back pain grew out of my experience as a yoga therapist specialising in back health. I wanted to create something for those of you who cannot come to my classes and would like a back-care practice to do at home. In my group classes or individual yoga therapy sessions I always include abdominal exercises, even if these exercises are not strictly yoga. They are an essential component of healing back pain. However, relaxation and gentle stretching are also essential in back care and are included in the videos. The yoga therapy input makes the exercises more fun, more relaxing, well aligned and safe for the back.

When back pain is very serious, as can be the case in the early stages of a herniated disc or arthritis of the spine, one can easily become afraid of any movement. It may be confusing which movements will hurt and which won’t. This is why the first video session is extremely gentle. It is meant to boost confidence, be simple and clear. You can try this session right here. Please note that if you are more comfortable with your legs straight, you can do this first session with the legs straight on the mat instead of on a chair.

Whereas the first session teaches the basics and is super careful, at some point you will be ready for more. That’s why the other 4 sessions progress to more dynamic exercises. They are still meant to be safe for your back and they still include relaxation and valuable stretches. Once you have mastered all 5 sessions, it is most efficient to keep going over all 5, so that you can benefit from variety as well as different levels of intensity. As your abdominal muscles get stronger, you can use the explanation time to do more repetitions. You can buy the five sessions here for only £45.

In these five 15-minute sessions, yoga therapy, physical exercise and yogic breathing and relaxation techniques combine to offer you a broad approach to core strength and back health. I hope you will enjoy these sessions and that they will support you in looking after your back.

Try the first session here or forward this to someone who could use some special back care.

Namaste