Even If You Don't Do Yoga, This Yoga Prop Can Work Wonders On Your Back

Before becoming a regular at my local yoga studio , I always assumed those rectangular blocks were there to help you balance in challenging poses. Yet, as I tried different classes, I learned this versatile prop can be instrumental in getting an easy but deep stretch and easing tension in your back and hips. You can literally just lie down on them for a few minutes and start feeling relief. 

According to Jennifer Purwin , a former yoga teacher and physical therapist who specializes in pelvic health and orthopedics at FemFirstHealth in Manhattan, the relief you feel when lying on yoga blocks (or other yoga props) comes from your muscles being externally supported and able to relax, allowing gravity to do the heavy work. 

That might be a block underneath the thorax or the ribcage, one under your head, maybe on the outsides of your knees. Once youre in a position where youre not having to contract your inner thigh muscles, your glutes the muscle gets this opportunity to passively lengthen. 

As Purwin describes, in a healthy muscle contraction, the protein filaments in your muscles pull toward each other and then go back to their baseline. Yet, when your muscles are tight , it means these lines of protein are stuck too close together.

You can try doing a more aggressive stretch, but if youre allowing time and gentle gravity to happen, youre allowing for this lengthening, where these protein filaments to just slide back where they should be. Youre allowing these structures to relax back to a baseline that is healthy, and from there, you have more power. 

Purwin recommends the passive pose seen below, which is easy to do at home and doesnt require extreme strength, flexibility or equipment. 

Of course, in addition to these passive deep stretches, Purwin says that blocks are also great for more active poses in yoga, pilates or any sort of stretching at home. Whether youre doing lunges or trying to bend over and touch your toes, having a rectangular block, which you can use on any of the three heights for extra length can bring the floor to you, helps you make the most of your practice. 

Below is my favorite yoga block, as well as some top-rated items that come highly recommended from reviewers. Most of them measure 9x6x4 inches, but they all have different weights and densities for your personal preferences.  

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