quick stretches etc for 'cracking' my back?

katy_trail
katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
really need to get my workout done tonght, anybody here?
this needs to be done by myself.
specifically my upper back area

twisting around, arm circles etc isn't working

Replies

  • xxxTiaxxx
    xxxTiaxxx Posts: 310 Member
    Yeah I want to know this too.
  • Beezil
    Beezil Posts: 1,677 Member
    If you want to "crack" your back... best done by a chiropractor, but, there is one you can do on the floor sitting down. Cross one leg over the other, prop your elbow against your knee and turn around until you're looking straight behind you (or as far as you can comfortably go). Usually makes my back feel better, but doesn't usually pop it.
  • RhineDHP
    RhineDHP Posts: 1,025 Member
    Cracking your back, like cracking your knuckles?

    Usually what I do is sit down on a hard surface with my feet out in front of me. I bring my arms to the center of my back, on the floor, and turn them so that my palms are toward my back and my fingers are pointing away (elbows bent). then I straighten my elbows and my back cracks.

    Another thing I do is clasp my hands behind me back and once again straighten out my elbows, and the motion cracks my back.
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    If you want to "crack" your back... best done by a chiropractor, but, there is one you can do on the floor sitting down. Cross one leg over the other, prop your elbow against your knee and turn around until you're looking straight behind you (or as far as you can comfortably go). Usually makes my back feel better, but doesn't usually pop it.
    'tried, didn't work
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    Cracking your back, like cracking your knuckles?

    Usually what I do is sit down on a hard surface with my feet out in front of me. I bring my arms to the center of my back, on the floor, and turn them so that my palms are toward my back and my fingers are pointing away (elbows bent). then I straighten my elbows and my back cracks.

    Another thing I do is clasp my hands behind me back and once again straighten out my elbows, and the motion cracks my back.

    i tried the second one,

    having trouble understanding the first one, is it like doing a bridge?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBzWLDis0X8
    skip to the last 20 sec.
  • megleo818
    megleo818 Posts: 595 Member
    I usually use the twisty method (mentioned above) to crack my lower back. Was surprised yesterday that using a foam roller cracked my mid back yesterday. I was just lying on the roller, rolling it up and down my back and it cracked when I got to about mid ribcage. I think it did this because my back was NOT particularly tight, mind you, but it's worth trying!

    Editing to say that this was AFTER I had done a bunch of cardio (almost an hour), so I was really warm. I doubt anything would have happened if I'd just walked into the gym and rolled around ...
  • djames92
    djames92 Posts: 990 Member
    have someone walk on it

    it doesnt hurt unless they are really big
  • j4nash
    j4nash Posts: 1,719 Member
    sit in a chair, put your arms to your side and lift yourself up.
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
    My favourite one is called 'lying down in my bed at night and sleeping'

    Seriously, back/hips will 'go out' and a night's rest usually fixes me up by the next day. If not, off to the chiro I go. I wouldn't trust anyone else (or myself) to crack on my spine who wasn't qualified to do so.
  • 6550mom
    6550mom Posts: 206 Member
    Get a foam roller. BEST.
  • juliana813
    juliana813 Posts: 67 Member
    i usually stand up facing away from my bed and twist to the right and put my right arm on the bed and do the same with the other side. also, sit in a chair that goes up about 1/2 way up your back. make sure it won't roll away. put your hands on a table or desk and push the chair into your back by leaning back a bit, if you slouch down a bit, you can crack more than 1 area. that's just what i do :-) hope i helped!
  • chkn_WANG_Train
    chkn_WANG_Train Posts: 143
    I have a couple that I do.

    1. clasp hands together behind back, and straighten arms, stretch what feels good and I usually get a crack.
    2. hands in fist on lower back and bend pushing hips forward and "out"
    3. find a counter that is a little taller than my waist, lift myself up with butt and legs hanging off and sort of hang and wiggle my body ... this sort of pulls the spine out.
    4. arms at 90 degree bends parallel to the floor and swing/twist
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    have someone walk on it

    it doesnt hurt unless they are really big

    hoping i'm done with my heavy workout before 12:30, if not then bf can try an attempt,
    but i'd rather not lift doing a full body workout with my upper back feeling off.
    if i wait to do anything till then then do the workout, i'll have to go to sleep instead. early morning.
  • toomanycurves
    toomanycurves Posts: 110 Member
    I can usually get my lower back to crack by sitting up straight and then rotating my spine as though it is a corkscrew.
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    it's not really out, like i need a chiropractor to fix it. it used to happen fairly often years ago when i was a runner.
    it's just uncomfortable. usually i can just twist around or put my arms behind me like the suggestions.
    it's not something that happens often, and i don't have any history of back issues.
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    I can usually get my lower back to crack by sitting up straight and then rotating my spine as though it is a corkscrew.

    :huh:
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Sit on floor ready to lay back. Hand in fist. Put hand behind back with knuckles on spots that feel "out" or rather need some movement. Lay back slowly. Relax. May need to stretch other arm up in air, especially if area is on that side, which is easier.

    Many chiro's use this method with their own fists, so notice how to make it correctly so you don't hurt yourself, just like they don't.

    Can get very spot on.

    Also foam roller for more regular treatment. Hug shoulders and relax back and let drop in to the roller. Usually great movement. Massaged enough immediately hang on bar to finish it up.
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    Sit on floor ready to lay back. Hand in fist. Put hand behind back with knuckles on spots that feel "out" or rather need some movement. Lay back slowly. Relax. May need to stretch other arm up in air, especially if area is on that side, which is easier.

    Many chiro's use this method with their own fists, so notice how to make it correctly so you don't hurt yourself, just like they don't.

    Can get very spot on.

    Also foam roller for more regular treatment. Hug shoulders and relax back and let drop in to the roller. Usually great movement. Massaged enough immediately hang on bar to finish it up.

    does this work on the upper back?
  • smartin0181
    smartin0181 Posts: 45 Member
    This is how I do it.
    Lay down onto your stomach. Put your left hand onto your left love handle (lower back). Use your right elbow to prop your upper body (like when you are doing a plank.) use your left hand to press your left love handle into the ground as you try to twist your upper body over. DO the opposite side. This will pop your back
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    Sit on floor ready to lay back. Hand in fist. Put hand behind back with knuckles on spots that feel "out" or rather need some movement. Lay back slowly. Relax. May need to stretch other arm up in air, especially if area is on that side, which is easier.

    Many chiro's use this method with their own fists, so notice how to make it correctly so you don't hurt yourself, just like they don't.

    Can get very spot on.

    Also foam roller for more regular treatment. Hug shoulders and relax back and let drop in to the roller. Usually great movement. Massaged enough immediately hang on bar to finish it up.

    still figuring out how to reach between my shoulder blades, but i did get some movement in the mid-section that i didn't realize needed it :)
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    totally doing that knuckle on my spin thing again, my shoulders are going to be like gumby's lol

    thanks for all the responses, i think these are helping, i'm trying a variety of suggestions.
    i'm feeling better already!
    on a funny note, attempted to do a bridge, FAIL! lol can't get my arms to push me up right now
    but i can lift heavy shiz.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Sit on floor ready to lay back. Hand in fist. Put hand behind back with knuckles on spots that feel "out" or rather need some movement. Lay back slowly. Relax. May need to stretch other arm up in air, especially if area is on that side, which is easier.

    Many chiro's use this method with their own fists, so notice how to make it correctly so you don't hurt yourself, just like they don't.

    Can get very spot on.

    Also foam roller for more regular treatment. Hug shoulders and relax back and let drop in to the roller. Usually great movement. Massaged enough immediately hang on bar to finish it up.

    still figuring out how to reach between my shoulder blades, but i did get some movement in the mid-section that i didn't realize needed it :)

    ugh, yeah I can never get that high. I have really awful spot right next to one shoulder blade that if it's bad, even a chiro has trouble moving, I don't even pretend I'll accomplish it. Probably pull a shoulder out trying, that might hurt me worse.
  • angbieb
    angbieb Posts: 668 Member
    Bump!
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    and if all else fails for getting it out b4 the workout, heavy bench press can do the job too. thanks again, my w/o was awesomtastic.
    I could have done 12 reps on most exercises (I'm on 10 reps week), so was super happy when I was done :bigsmile:
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    And I'm not sure why I didn't remember, probably because I took my tennis ball to work. But that under the back in the right spot too. Sometimes too big for laying and just tenses up the back, in which case smaller rubber ball, either air or solid works too.
    I'll use tennis ball at work in chair. Lift up on arms to stretch it out, while pushing back into the ball. That will sometimes get those upper spots.

    Of course I've found many times that when you do this free self-chiro movements, you get what you pay for.

    Glad it worked out for you.
  • jc1961AA
    jc1961AA Posts: 283 Member
    have someone walk on it

    it doesnt hurt unless they are really big

    This, used to have my kids doing it thus now they are too heavy. Roll a towel like a tight sausage and place on the floor, lie on the towel so that your spine follow the towel (hope I am making myself clear), relax your shoulders on either the side of the towel, it doesn't always work but I managed to do it a few times.
    Another one, is to find somebody with approximately the same height and weight, put yourself back to back, put your arms around her/his arms, and take turn to lift each other
    JC

Categories