Four gentle positions that decompress the lumbar spine, and the two common moves to skip entirely.
A ball can be a genuinely good tool for a grumpy lower back, mostly because it lets you load the spine in positions where gravity is doing less of the work.
Skip loaded Russian twists — rotation under load is the one thing an irritated disc does not want. And skip the prone jackknife until the stiffness has gone; it demands a lot of lumbar control before you have it back.
If a position makes the ache travel further down the leg, stop. Travelling pain is information, not a challenge.
Maya Ellison
Written by Maya Ellison for Bruse Yoga.
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