Spine decompression

Bar hang

Hang from a bar and let gravity do the opposite of what your day does. It lengthens the whole back line at once and asks the shoulders for the overhead range that sitting quietly removes.

How to do it

1. 01Take an overhand grip a little wider than your shoulders.
2. 02Let your weight settle, keeping the shoulders active rather than fully slack at first.
3. 03Breathe slowly and let the ribs and hips lengthen away from the hands.
4. 04Step down before the grip fails; accumulate the time across several short hangs.

Mistakes that waste your reps

• ×Hanging fully limp on day one; ease into passive hangs over weeks.
• ×Chasing one long hang instead of several comfortable ones.
• ×Ignoring shoulder pain: hangs should feel like relief, not pinching.

Where this comes from

Discomfort that eases as you move is normal; pain that sharpens is a stop sign. If this area is injured or persistently painful, a clinician outranks this page.

Written by Kyle Jenkin · updated August 31, 2026 · how we grade evidence

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