Who needs back stretches? Most of us, it turns out. These days, many people perform manual labor only rarely—or we simulate it with a workout in the gym—and our body alignment suffers as a result. We spend much of our time hunched over computers, sitting behind steering wheels, or bent forward staring at smartphones. Not surprisingly, our hips lock down, our hamstrings tighten, our shoulders round forward, and our bodies engage in compensatory movements that lead to pain, often in the back.
Making matters worse, many people engage in sports or start a workout right after a full day of sitting at a desk, which can put them at greater risk of injury. To avoid that (and really get the most out of a gym session) it’s best to follow an integrated program to improve hip and shoulder mobility. At the very least, running through a few back stretches before physical activity will help reduce pain and the prospect of injury. Here are seven back stretches to accomplish that.
The Best Back Stretches to Relieve Pain
1. Cat/Cow
Benefits: This familiar two-part yoga move improves flexibility in the lumbar and cervical spine and is an effective warmup before any physical activity.
How to Do It: Start on all fours with hands beneath your shoulders and knees on the ground. For the cow pose, inhale and drop your stomach as you push your hips and shoulder blades back. Lift your chin and chest and gaze forward. For the cat pose, exhale as you draw your belly button upward and round your back toward the ceiling. Perform 2 sets of 10 (each move) with a 30-second rest between sets.
2. Downward Dog
Benefits: One of yoga’s signature moves is a terrific full-body stretch, but it’s especially good for the back.
How to Do It: Start on all fours. Inhale and move your hands out from under your shoulders so your arms are extended in front of you (with hands on the floor) at roughly a 45-degree angle. Tuck your toes under your feet. As you exhale, straighten your legs and lift your butt and midsection toward the ceiling. Your knees should be slightly bent and you should be up on your toes. Drop your head between your arms, straighten your arms and legs, and push back on your feet. Press your heels into the floor, or as far as you can go. Hold for 2 seconds. Perform 2 sets of 10 reps with a 30-second rest between sets.
3. 90/90 Stretch
Benefits: This stretches the muscles of your middle and upper back and counteracts the effects of sitting all day.
How to Do It: Lie on the ground on your left side with legs tucked into the torso at a 90-degree angle. Keep both arms straight out in front of you, parallel to your thighs. Keeping the knees together and on the ground, rotate your chest and right arm to the right; try to put your back on the ground without lifting your knees off the ground. Hold for 2 seconds and return to the start position. Perform 2 sets of 10 reps on each side with a 30-second rest between sets.
4. Hand Walk
Benefits: This is a full-body move that lengthens your hamstrings and calves while stabilizing the shoulders—all of which will reduce the possibility of back pain. Hand walks are also effective at stretching your lower back muscles.
How to Do It: Stand with legs straight and bend at the waist, placing both hands on the floor. Walk your hands out in front of you. Keeping your legs straight, walk your feet back to your hands using short steps. That’s 1 rep. Perform 2 sets of 10 reps with a 30-second rest between sets.
5. Backward Lunge With Twist
Benefits: This move decreases the potential for injury in the lower back while stretching the hip flexors.
How to Do It: Stand with both feet together, then step back with your right leg into a lunge position. Turn your torso to the right (so you’re facing to the right), raise your right arm straight up, and arch your arm and torso over your left (front) leg. Push out of that position, return to the start position, and begin another lunge, this time stepping back with your left leg. Perform 2 sets of 10 reps (each side) with a 30-second rest between sets.
6. Reach and Roll
Benefits: A variation of the child’s pose practiced in yoga, this move provides an effective stretch of the upper back as well as the shoulders.
How to Do It: Grab a foam roller and place it in front of you. Sit on the floor with your legs tucked underneath you and your heels under your buttocks. Keep your torso upright. Extend your arms so the backs of your hands rest on the foam roller. Slowly roll the foam forward while letting your chest drop to the ground and keeping the hips back. Hold the stretch for two seconds while keeping both hands on the foam roller. Perform 2 sets of 10 reps with a 30-second rest between sets.
7. Glute Bridge
Benefits: As the name suggests, this move activates the glutes, which prevents long-term back pain while also providing a thorough back stretch.
How to Do It: Lie faceup on the floor with both knees bent 90 degrees and both feet resting flat on the floor directly below your knees. Engage your core, squeeze your glutes, and push your hips up to the ceiling. Only your shoulders, arms, head, and feet should remain on the ground. Hold that position for two seconds, and then lower your hips toward the ground without touching it. That’s 1 rep. Perform 2 sets of 10 reps.
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There’s no doubt when the weather turns colder as we settle into winter, stouts take center stage. And while we enjoy all its iterations: standard stout, imperial stout, and robust barrel-aged stouts, we think this malty, chocolate-filled beer’s close cousin deserves a little respect as well. Of course, we’re talking about the oft-overlooked porter. And the best porters, oh buddy, they’ll have you rethinking your seasonal bevvie of choice.
For those uninitiated, the porter style had its genesis in England like many other iconic beer styles. It first appeared in the 1700s and is (you guessed it) named after porters—individuals tasked with transporting luggage.
A confusing origin story
“Stout is the direct descendant of porter. In the 1700s, it was common to use the word ‘stout’ to refer to a bolder, higher-alcohol version of any beer style, much in the same way we use the word ‘imperial’ today,” says Zach Fowle, advanced cicerone and head of marketing for Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in Phoenix, AZ. “Porter was the most popular beer of the day, and over time, “stout porter” became a popular variant. But by the late 1800s, demand for regular porters evaporated, and stout porter shortened simply to stout.”
But more has changed between the 1800s and today than just our penchant for wearing top hats. “Today, most brewers seem to market beers as either stout or porter based on vibes, rather than on any notable stylistic differences,” he says.
Specifically, porters are known for their dark, almost pitch-black color and rich, sweet flavor profile. If you were to drink a porter and a stout side by side, you might even have difficulty discerning the differences between the two.
Stout versus porter is an enduring topic of discussion in the brewing industry. “While there’s no debating the porter came first—and stout used to be called stout porter, so it was a stronger version of a porter—the lines have become very blurred over the years,” says Rob Lightner, co-founder of East Brother Brewing in Richmond, CA.
“I would venture that even among professionals, a blind taste test would often yield inconclusive results,” says Lightner.
The difference between porters and stouts
Porters tend to be on the milder, more chocolatey end of the spectrum, Lightner says, whereas stouts are typically a little stronger and more roasty. Of course, this isn’t a hard and fast rule
Fowle agrees, “Porters tend to be fruitier, sweeter, and less bitter than stouts, with cocoa and caramel flavors in balance with dark malt bitterness. And stouts are usually hoppier, drier, maltier, and more coffee-forward—and may even have a touch of acidity.”
Whether or not they fit neatly into boxes, one thing’s for sure: both make for incredible cold-weather brews.
“As the nights grow longer, drinking a light, summery beer just doesn’t seem right,” says Fowle. “Porter is the perfect style for the transition to winter: warming and toasty yet not too heavy, with flavors of coffee, chocolate, and pie crust that correspond with autumn weather and holidays.”
It’s the perfect time to broaden your repretoire. Sweet, robust, warming, and well-suited to the season, here are the best porters to drink now.
1. Deschutes Black Butte Porter
There are few porters more well-respected than Deschutes’ iconic Black Butte Porter. It’s brewed with Cascade and Tettnang hops as well as 2-row, Chocolate, Crystal, and Carapils malts as well as wheat. This 5.5% ABV year-round offering is great for cold-weather drinking because of its mix of roasted malts, coffee, and chocolate. It’s a robust, subtly sweet beer perfect for imbibing on a crisp fall night.
The key to 360-degree muscle: 90-degree eccentric isometrics. It might seem like we’re throwing a lot of geometry at you, but the concept behind time under tension (TUT) is simple, says Joel Seedman, PhD, owner of Advanced Human Performance: “Perform the lowering phase of a movement in a slow, controlled fashion, usually 3 to 5 seconds; pause in the stretched position, typically around 90 degrees; then perform the lifting phase in a powerful yet controlled fashion.” Believe us, a time-under-tension workout can humble even seasoned lifters…Eccentric isometrics are like the pressure cooker of training.
“Rather than mindlessly performing slow-tempo reps, you’re using the increased time under tension as a means to fine-tune your body mechanics and alignment, which requires more mental engagement and focus,” Seedman adds.
If you want to forge functional muscle mass and strength while simultaneously bulletproofing the joints and connective tissue, give this 10-move, full-body eccentric isometrics workout a go.
Directions
Perform the following moves as 90-degree eccentric isometrics following the above protocol. Use heavy weight, but not at the detriment of proper form. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. Perform once every 2 to 4 days for optimal results.
Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength
Circuit 1
A. Barbell Back Squat
Set a squat rack up with heavy weight, then grasp bar and step under it. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then stand to unrack bar and step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale, hinge at hips and slowly bend knees to 90 degrees. Pause, keeping natural arch in low back, then extend through hips to powerfully stand. 3 x 4-6 reps
B. Renegade Row
Start in the top position of a pushup with hands shoulder-width apart on moderate-to-heavy dumbbells (shown). Explosively drive right elbow back to row dumbbell toward ribs while balancing on opposite hand and feet. Pause, then slowly lower weight, stopping a few inches above floor. Switch sides after all reps are done. 3 x 5 reps each side
Circuit 2
A. Dumbbell Bentover Row
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing you. Push hips back and hinge torso forward so it’s nearly parallel to floor, soft bend in knees. Dumbbells should be near shins. Drive elbows back to row weights toward ribs. Pause, then slowly lower down for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 x 4-5 reps
B. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised
Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back with dumbbells in either hand. Engage core and lift legs off floor, flexing feet. Press weights overhead, palms in. Slowly lower to 90 degrees, staying tight and compact. Pause, then drive weights up directly over chest. 3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 3
A. Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
Stand lunge-length in front of a flat bench, holding heavy dumbbells in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Rest the ball on top (shoe’s laces) of your right foot behind you on the bench. Slowly lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then drive through your heel to stand. Switch sides after all reps are complete. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
B. Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells. Drive right leg up, foot flexed, knee aligned with hip, making a 90-degree angle. Hinge at hips as you slowly lever your torso toward floor, lowering weights and driving right leg back for counterbalance. Hold, then squeeze glutes to reverse. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Circuit 4
A. Pullup
Hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip with legs extended and feet flexed. Engage lats and draw shoulders down your back, then pull yourself up until chin is higher than hands. Pause at the top, then slowly lower. Pause at bottom, then reset before your next rep. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
B. Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press
Hold a bar with moderate-to-heavy load at shoulder level with forearms perpendicular to floor. Kneel at end of bench with feet flexed to grip edge for support. Inhale, engage your core and glutes, then press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward so it passes your face, exhaling at the top. Slowly lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then hold to maintain tension. Begin your next rep from here. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 5
A. Dumbbell Pushup
Place hands on dumbbells (this provides greater range of motion) at shoulder width and feet wider than shoulder width with just toes touching the ground. Keep head neutral and hips high to increase tension on core, chest and tris and reduce stress on spine. Slowly lower to the floor. Stop once elbows hit 90 degrees, pause, then push up to start. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
B. Biceps Curl
Stand with feet hip-width apart with moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in each hand hanging by sides. Engage biceps to curl the weights up, keeping upper arms still. Pause at the top, then lower slowly. Don’t let arms drop all the way down to keep greater time under tension on biceps. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
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If you haven’t picked up a jump rope since elementary school, you’re missing out on a fantastic cardio workout. Not only will you burn a ton of calories in a short amount of time—200 to 300 calories in 15 minutes—but jump ropes can also improve your coordination and agility. Better yet, jumping rope doesn’t require much space, so it’s easy to do at home, and it’s often more mentally stimulating than jogging or swimming.
Choosing a Jump Rope
When deciding which jump rope is best for you, it’s important to determine what your goals are. While lightweight speed ropes are popular for cardio-focused training, weighted or drag ropes will be best for those focused on strength training.
No matter what your training goals are, we’ve got you covered with this roundup of 10 jump ropes from top brands including Crossrope, TRX, Rogue, and more.
The Best Jump Ropes of 2022
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