Bridge pose opens up your chest and shoulders while releasing your hip flexors, which can help relieve back pain, explained Abby Vernon, E-RYT 500-certified yoga instructor and lead of teacher development for YogaSix. Sitting for long periods of time causes your spine to curve and hunch, she told POPSUGAR. "Bridge counteracts that by helping to build muscular strength and stability in the upper back muscles."
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hips-width apart.
- Lift your hips off the ground by pressing into your feet.
- For a deeper stretch, bring your shoulder blades together and clasp your hands together underneath you. You can also do "robot arms" by bending your elbows to 90 degrees, facing your palms toward each other and fingers pointing to the sky.
- Hold for 30 seconds. You can also pulse with your breath: on your exhale, lower to hover your hips above the ground; on your inhale, lift back up.
