I Did This 5-Minute Stretch Routine For 2 Weeks, and My Low Back Pain Is Almost Gone

• While on your hands and knees, sit back between your heels, exhaling as you lower your belly between your knees, coming into a Wide Child's Pose.
• Hold for five breaths.

• Begin with your hands and knees on the floor. Make sure your knees are under your hips and your wrists are under your shoulders. Begin in a neutral spine position, with your back flat and your abs engaged. Take a big, deep inhale.
• On the exhale, round your spine up toward the ceiling, and imagine you're pulling your belly button up toward your spine, really engageing your abs. Tuck your chin toward your chest, and let your neck release. This is your cat-like shape.
• On your inhale, arch your back, let your belly relax, and go loose. Lift your head and tailbone up toward the sky — without putting any unnecessary pressure on your neck. This is the Cow portion of the pose.
• Continue flowing back and forth from Cat Pose to Cow Pose, and connect your breath to each movement — inhale for Cow Pose, and exhale on Cat Pose.
• Repeat for 10 rounds, or as long as needed to loosen up your back.

• Begin sitting with your legs extended in front of you. Slowly roll onto your back, raising your hips into the air. Interlace the fingers in a double fist to help draw the shoulder blades together, and extend the arms straight.
• Extend your legs over your head, hips over your shoulders. It's OK if your feet don't touch, or if you have to bend your legs a bit.
• Hold for five breaths and then slowly lower your hips to the floor, lowering one vertebra at a time. Hug your knees into your chest.

• Start in Plow Pose.
• Bring your hands to your lower back, fingertips pointing toward the ceiling. Keeping your elbows on the ground and in line with your shoulders, slowly lift one leg straight up and then the other. The toes should stack directly over the hips, which are stacked over the shoulders.
• Stay here for 10 breaths.
• To get out of the pose, slowly bring one leg back over your head, then the other, until you're back in Plow Pose. Gently lower your back, hips, and legs to the ground.

This inversion can be uncomfortable, so here are tips for preventing neck pain in Shoulderstand and a Shoulderstand variation you can try.

• Lie flat on your back with your arms close to your sides, palms facing down. Keeping your bum on the floor, inhale as you press your hands and forearms into the ground to arch your back, lifting your shoulders off the floor. Tilt your head backward and rest the top of your head on the floor.
• Keeping your legs strong, hold for five breaths. Then lower back to the mat.

For more support, grab a block and try a Supported Fish Pose.

• Lie on your back, bending your knees into your chest.
• Extend your arms out in T-position.
• Slowly lower both knees to the right. Rest them on the ground, and turn your head to the left. You can increase the stretch by crossing the left knee over the right thigh.
• Hold here for at least five breaths, feeling your spine lengthen and twist. You may even hear some "cracks."
• Use your abs to lift your knees back to centre, then repeat on the other side.