Keep Your Spine Young: The 7 Movements of the Spine

You’re only as young as your spine is flexible!

Join me for this 5 minute bite-sized yoga practice that focuses on movement of the spine in all its different directions (flexion, extension, rotation, side bending, and axial extension) so that we can decrease pain and stiffness and maintain overall health and vitality!

Did you know your spine is designed to move in multiple directions? Yet many of us only move it back and forth during our daily activities (think sitting, standing, bending to pick things up). It’s no wonder we often wake up feeling stiff!

Let’s talk about why this quick practice is so powerful. Your spine is actually meant to move in seven different ways, and we just explored all of them! Here’s what’s happening when we move our spine:

• Forward Bending (Flexion): Think of this as the “curl forward” movement, like when we did cat pose. This movement helps decompress the back of your spine and can feel wonderful first thing in the morning!
• Backward Bending (Extension): This is when we open through the front body, like in our gentle backbend. It helps counteract all that forward bending we do during the day while looking at screens or reading.
• Side Bending (Lateral Flexion): Those gentle side stretches we did help maintain flexibility in your rib area and can even help with breathing. Plus, they just feel amazing!
• Twisting (Rotation): Our gentle spinal twists help maintain mobility in your vertebrae and can even aid digestion. They’re like a massage for your internal organs!
• Lengthening (Axial Extension): When we grew tall through our spine, we created space between each vertebra. This helps maintain good posture and can even help you feel taller!

Think of your spine like a slinky – it needs to be able to compress, expand, and move in all directions to stay healthy. When we regularly move our spine in all these ways, we’re essentially giving it a full-body massage from the inside out.

🌟 Daily Practice Tip: Try this quick sequence first thing in the morning, when your spine might be feeling a bit stiff from sleep. Your body will thank you.

If you enjoyed this practice and want to dive deeper into maintaining a healthy, flexible spine (which is key for better posture!), I’d love to have you join my free 3-day Yoga for Posture Challenge. We’ll build on these movements and discover even more ways to keep your spine happy and healthy.

Sign up here to join us for the challenge!