A yoga or gymnastics pose where the body arches backward, bending at the spine with the head moving toward the heels.
From 'back' + 'bend'. This term became common in English during the late 20th century as yoga terminology entered mainstream Western culture, combining the directional term 'back' with the physical action 'bend'.
Backbends are paradoxically named because they actually stretch the front of your body while your back muscles work hard to control the movement—the name describes the direction of the spine's curve, not what you're stretching.
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