The sphinx pose is a great pose to add to your daily yoga routine!
Lower back pain and poor posture are big problems in today's population. We've discussed many different ways to combat back pain here and here. Today's featured exercise is a powerful pose that we regularly use to help address lower back pain and correct posture. This pose works well at both the end and the beginning of any yoga sequence, but can also be done throughout the day to address acute pain in the spine.
To perform the Sphinx pose begin by lying on your stomach, with your legs extended and toes pointed away from your body. To initiate the movement flex you glutes (your butt cheeks) and allow your outer thighs to rotate towards the floor. This muscle action and alignment internally rotates the femur bones, which will help to lengthen and protect your lower back and sacrum during the bend.
Next, set your elbows underneath your shoulders with the forearms extended parallel in front of you. Inhale deeply as you lift the upper torso and head from the floor. Keep the glutes and thighs activated as you settle in to this mild stretch. Continue to exhale and inhale for 3-5 deep breaths. Finally, release the stretch and return your head and torso to the ground . A great follow up pose when transitioning out of the sphinx is the downward facing dog pose, or you can try the more advanced cobra pose.
We hope you enjoy adding the sphinx pose to your routine this week. If you're new to yoga please consider trying out our Gentle Yoga class every Monday-Saturday at 10:00 a.m.
-Corey Evans, CSCS, CISSN