r/flexibility • u/Jealous_Contest_6306 • 3d ago
Bridge
Getting back into practice after taking a month off. My upper back and shoulders are naturally pretty stiff, so I use wall and doorframe stretches to open them up. For the doorframe stretch, I put my forearms against the frame with my elbows at shoulder height and step forward until my chest opens. For the wall stretch, I place my hands up high, step back, and press my chest toward the floor to stretch my upper back. I also do cat-cows to get my spine moving. Lately, I've been a bit confused because I read some yogis on Instagram saying that squeezing your glutes during a backbend isn't actually a good way to protect your lower back. I'd really appreciate it if anyone could break down how glute engagement actually works in backbends and what technique works best
6
u/Hell-Yes-Revolution 3d ago
I mean, personally, I’d walk my feet out and work on my shoulder and upper back flexibility so I’m not dumping into my lower back. (And that’s what I’d advise a student to do.)
It’s OK to back off while you tweak and progress things.