Stiff back? Use these five exercises from a movement expert to increase mobility and flexibility

Mobility training doesn’t have to last for hours. If you’re dealing with a stiff or strained back, adding this Pilates teacher’s routine to your week could be a game-changer.

Vanessa Michielon, Pilates, yoga and dance expert and founder of The method of transforming motioncreated this easy routine that only takes 10 minutes and helps increase mobility and flexibility in five easy steps.

I love that I can use it as a warm-up or cool-down in my workouts or even as a stand-alone practice on rest days to support recovery. If you’ve been neglecting your mobility exercises and feeling the consequences, try this workout and thank us later.

How to do this five-exercise mobility workout

1. Cat-cow

Representatives: 5-10

“This stretch promotes spinal flexibility by moving the spine through its full range of flexion and extension, relieving tension in the lower back, thoracic spine, and neck,” says Michielon.

How come:

Start in a table position on your hands and knees, with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
Inhale and move into cow pose, lifting your head and tailbone and lowering your belly.
Exhale and move into cat pose, tucking your chin toward your chest, lowering your tailbone and rounding your spine as you push your palms into the floor.
Alternate these two positions, coordinating with your breathing.

2. The rolled cow-cat

Representatives: 5-10

“This is an evolution of the first exercise, this movement introduces a spinal wave, which helps build intersegmental mobility between the vertebrae and encourages better coordination,” says Michielon.

How come:

Begin in child’s pose, sitting back on your heels, knees wide, arms outstretched in front of you, and forehead on the mat.
Inhale as you roll forward onto your hands and knees into a table position, focusing on lifting each vertebra one at a time, starting at the tailbone.
Exhale, slowly arch your back and return to child’s pose, again moving vertebra by vertebra.
Repeat this running sequence without problems.

3. Sitting cow-cat

Representatives: 5-10

“Performing cat-cow from a seated position is beneficial for both the lower back and hamstring flexibility,” says Michielon. “It encourages movement in the pelvis and lumbar spine and may be more accessible to people with sensitive wrists or knees.”

How come:

Sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you. and bend forward to catch your toes or ankles. You can also use a yoga strap around your legs.
Inhale as you arch your back, lifting your chest and chin, to feel a stretch in your chest and lower back.
Exhale as you round your spine and pull your chin toward your chest, moving your pelvis back.
Alternate these two positions, coordinating with your breathing.

4. Soft cobra

Representatives: 5-10

“This move creates a gentle, dynamic stretch through the spine and abdomen by introducing a slight bend in the back,” says Michielon. “The swing adds lateral movement to the spine and encourages the release of tension throughout the body.”

How come:

Lie on your stomach with your forearms on the floor in a wide sphinx pose with your elbows wider than your shoulders and your legs extended behind you. If you feel tenderness in the back, slightly widen the legs.
Inhale as you extend your arms and lift your chest into a soft cobra (if this feels too strong, you can stay in sphinx with your forearms on the floor).
From this position, slowly shift the weight from side to side, creating small waves of movement along the torso.

5. Fold forward to squat

Representatives: 5-10

“Forward folds are a great way to gently stretch the entire back and encourage decompression of the spine as gravity pulls the weight of the head down,” says Michielon. “Adding a squat further increases mobility in the hips and knees and flexibility in the hamstrings.”

How come:

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly apart.
Bend forward from the hips and touch the arms to the floor, allowing the head to drop.
Inhale as you bend your knees and push your hips back to lower into a squat position, keeping your heels on the floor.
Exhale as you straighten your legs and lift your hips to return to the forward fold.
Move between these positions, letting your breath guide your movement.

About our expert

Vanessa Mihailon

Vanessa Michielon, PhD, is an undergraduate and graduate yoga and dance lecturer and founder The method of transforming motionwhich uses yoga, Pilates and dance to improve physical health and achieve a balanced state of mind.

She is trained in Pre/Postnatal Coaching, Pilates L3, Pre/Postnatal Pilates, Pre/Postnatal Yoga, Advanced Yoga Psychology and Yoga Therapy for Anxiety and holds a Masters in Dance Performance.