What's Better than Yoga for Back Pain?
The Hauber Method™ is often mistakenly called "yoga" by people who have never tried it.
"Better than yoga" or “an essential precursor to my yoga practice” is what experienced students start to call it instead.
What makes The Hauber Method™ better than yoga for back pain?
Yoga Is Mostly Stretching
Vinyasa flow, which is typically an intense cardiovascular (aerobic) workout, is less about stretching and more about getting you to sweat. And Ashtanga yoga includes an athletic sequence of yoga postures that I only advise pain-free, committed yogis to engage in. But other than those two styles, the typical yoga class taught in America is about 90% stretching.
Stretching is fantastic! But when your back is hurting, you need so much more than stretching.
You need (as I describe in detail in Hauber's Heal Your Back Handbook) strength. And you need that strength in a set of particular, little-known muscles that are specifically designed to relieve your back from undue burden and, thus, pain (see Preventive Care for Your Back, Core, Hamstrings and More to learn more).
For most people with back pain, those important muscles are dormant, weak, or incredibly tight to the point of being useless, just because we (1) never received proper instruction for how to take care of our bodies, and (2) we sit far more than we are designed to sit, and sit with poor posture (learn to sit without pain by watching the video here).
Strength Exercises for Back Pain
The Hauber Method™ specifically targets and strengthens those particular muscles that support your back.
Only very few yoga classes are designed to address those muscles, and even fewer yoga teachers know how to practice or teach yoga in a way that emphasizes the strengthening--rather than stretching--of those specific muscles.
"Better than yoga" or “an essential precursor to my yoga practice” is what experienced students start to call it instead.
What makes The Hauber Method™ better than yoga for back pain?
Yoga Is Mostly Stretching
Vinyasa flow, which is typically an intense cardiovascular (aerobic) workout, is less about stretching and more about getting you to sweat. And Ashtanga yoga includes an athletic sequence of yoga postures that I only advise pain-free, committed yogis to engage in. But other than those two styles, the typical yoga class taught in America is about 90% stretching.
Stretching is fantastic! But when your back is hurting, you need so much more than stretching.
You need (as I describe in detail in Hauber's Heal Your Back Handbook) strength. And you need that strength in a set of particular, little-known muscles that are specifically designed to relieve your back from undue burden and, thus, pain (see Preventive Care for Your Back, Core, Hamstrings and More to learn more).
For most people with back pain, those important muscles are dormant, weak, or incredibly tight to the point of being useless, just because we (1) never received proper instruction for how to take care of our bodies, and (2) we sit far more than we are designed to sit, and sit with poor posture (learn to sit without pain by watching the video here).
Strength Exercises for Back Pain
The Hauber Method™ specifically targets and strengthens those particular muscles that support your back.
Only very few yoga classes are designed to address those muscles, and even fewer yoga teachers know how to practice or teach yoga in a way that emphasizes the strengthening--rather than stretching--of those specific muscles.
Strengthen Before Stretching
As you'll learn in Hauber's Heal Your Back Handbook, you must strengthen your back and deep core stabilizers before you stretch your back if your goal is to end your back pain for good. With the Hauber Method™, I show you exactly how to do that, quickly and easily, right at home.
You won’t need any equipment or special memberships. After you initiate online training with Sara or take part in Hauber Method™ workshops, you’ll be empowered to put your new-found knowledge into practice any time you need.
Once you've gotten stronger through your practice of the Hauber Method™, feel free to enjoy yoga asana practice as often as you want.
I sometimes teach yoga and I sometimes practice yoga (although I have to limit physical asana, because I am too flexible already). I love the psychological and emotional benefits of a complete yoga practice (as I describe in this post on my blog at Sarahauber.com).
Yoga asana practice can be a beautiful part of your healing strategy, just like these therapies that I strongly recommend as a complement to your Hauber Method™ practice when and if you need them.
However, I'd recommend you still avoid Vinyasa/flow classes until you've been doing the Hauber Method™ consistently and have been pain-free for at least 6 weeks. Trust me, your back will thank you.
Happy strengthening!
As you'll learn in Hauber's Heal Your Back Handbook, you must strengthen your back and deep core stabilizers before you stretch your back if your goal is to end your back pain for good. With the Hauber Method™, I show you exactly how to do that, quickly and easily, right at home.
You won’t need any equipment or special memberships. After you initiate online training with Sara or take part in Hauber Method™ workshops, you’ll be empowered to put your new-found knowledge into practice any time you need.
Once you've gotten stronger through your practice of the Hauber Method™, feel free to enjoy yoga asana practice as often as you want.
I sometimes teach yoga and I sometimes practice yoga (although I have to limit physical asana, because I am too flexible already). I love the psychological and emotional benefits of a complete yoga practice (as I describe in this post on my blog at Sarahauber.com).
Yoga asana practice can be a beautiful part of your healing strategy, just like these therapies that I strongly recommend as a complement to your Hauber Method™ practice when and if you need them.
However, I'd recommend you still avoid Vinyasa/flow classes until you've been doing the Hauber Method™ consistently and have been pain-free for at least 6 weeks. Trust me, your back will thank you.
Happy strengthening!
"What's Better Than Yoga for Back Pain?" Written by Sara Hauber.
First published in 2013; updated and republished November 27, 2019.
First published in 2013; updated and republished November 27, 2019.
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Click the button below to go back to the main Articles page and read more about how the core and back need strength if the back is to be pain free.
Click the button below to go back to the main Articles page and read more about how the core and back need strength if the back is to be pain free.
Or, if you're ready to experience the magic of an online Hauber Method™ session with Sara, book your first online session now. You'll get a free sample of Hauber's Heal Your Back Handbook!