Bending forward (flexing the spine) to touch your toes is NOT a good stretch. Yes, it stretches the back muscles, but it puts your spine in a compromising position, which carries high risk for low back injury. This is especially true if you are standing and bend forward or picking up an object in a forward bent position. The heavier the object you are lifting in the flexed position, the higher your risk for back injury. A back injury (such as a disc herniation or a compression fracture) can result from 1 traumatic lift or simply from habitually bending forward.
You already do a lot of forward bending in your daily life (unless you practice perfect body mechanics, which I recommend). Each time you bend forward, you increase the pressure within the discs (between the vertebrae). You also lose the balance and stability of the spine, which is strongest when it is straight (AKA neutral spine posture). When the spine is neutral, the vertebrae are stacked up and the tissues surrounding the vertebrae are in balance (front-back and right-left). This is the position you should be in when doing any heavy lifting. Have you noticed how professional weight lifters perform a 400+ pound squat?
It is especially important not to do forward bending activities early in the morning, for the first few hours after you wake up. The next time you are tempted to bend forward, try bending backward instead. Also, if you usually stretch your hamstrings by touching your toes, there are many alternative hamstrings stretches that are better for your back.
Another position that puts your spine in the flexed position is sitting with slouched posture. When you combine excessive slumped sitting with excessive forward bending, you are asking for low back pain. But the good news is that it is not too late to change these habits!
Showing posts with label neutral spine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label neutral spine. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Core strength position Part 2
From yesterday's post we know what the strong core position is, so let's rename it "neutral spine." Now we can talk about some more challenging exercises for your core. Before you begin, make sure you can find your neutral spine position whether you are sitting, standing or squatting. Also be sure to draw in/contract your abdominals without holding your breath. If you cannot do these, look back at "Core strength position" from yesterday.
The two keys of core strengthening as I have instructed so far are the neutral spine position and the abdominal contraction. If you have trouble with either one of those, spend some time practicing until you can do them both properly. The tendency with the abdominal contraction is to hold your breath and to tighten other muscles (such as buttocks, pelvic floor, etc). But work on isolating the deep abdominals, which are so important for your core strength and low back pain prevention. Here are some more core exercises.
Quadruped (hands and knees position): Get onto the floor or bed on your hands and knees. Find your neutral spine position. Draw in your abdominals. Slowly lift up one arm (it does not have to be very high) in front of you. Hold it for 5, 10 or up to 30 seconds. Repeat for the other arm. If it is easy, hold for 30 seconds. Only hold as long as you can maintain the proper back position. Alternate arm lifts for 1-2 minutes. If it is really easy, skip to the next step. Just make sure it is done with perfect technique first.
Next, try lifting one leg by kicking it backwards (do not kick so high that you lose your neutral back position). Hold for 5, 10 or up to 30 seconds. Repeat for the other leg. Alternate leg lifts for 1-2 minutes. If you need more of a challenge, increase your hold times with each kick. Do not forget to focus on your neutral spine position and your deep abdominal contraction. Technique is the most important part of these exercises. Practice for a few minutes per day until you can do them properly with 30 second hold times
To be continued!
The two keys of core strengthening as I have instructed so far are the neutral spine position and the abdominal contraction. If you have trouble with either one of those, spend some time practicing until you can do them both properly. The tendency with the abdominal contraction is to hold your breath and to tighten other muscles (such as buttocks, pelvic floor, etc). But work on isolating the deep abdominals, which are so important for your core strength and low back pain prevention. Here are some more core exercises.
Quadruped (hands and knees position): Get onto the floor or bed on your hands and knees. Find your neutral spine position. Draw in your abdominals. Slowly lift up one arm (it does not have to be very high) in front of you. Hold it for 5, 10 or up to 30 seconds. Repeat for the other arm. If it is easy, hold for 30 seconds. Only hold as long as you can maintain the proper back position. Alternate arm lifts for 1-2 minutes. If it is really easy, skip to the next step. Just make sure it is done with perfect technique first.
Next, try lifting one leg by kicking it backwards (do not kick so high that you lose your neutral back position). Hold for 5, 10 or up to 30 seconds. Repeat for the other leg. Alternate leg lifts for 1-2 minutes. If you need more of a challenge, increase your hold times with each kick. Do not forget to focus on your neutral spine position and your deep abdominal contraction. Technique is the most important part of these exercises. Practice for a few minutes per day until you can do them properly with 30 second hold times
To be continued!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Core strength position
What is the strongest position for your back to be in? Being upright with good posture! That is the only position that enables you to lift a very heavy load without hurting yourself. So let's talk about a few ways to strengthen your core in that position.
Sitting: Sit upright without leaning on the back of your chair. Make sure there is a small arch in your low back and that your shoulders are slightly back (under your ears). Your neck should not be strained forward. Look straight ahead. Now draw in your abs by bringing your belly button straight back toward your spine. Hold this position, without holding your breath, for 10 seconds. Repeat at least 5 times or just maintain the position for 1-2 minutes.
Standing: Stand upright with your back in the same position as described above. Draw in your belly button toward your spine. Hold this position, without holding your breath. Maintain the abdominal contraction as you slowly march in place (only lift each leg a few inches each time you march). Use arm support if needed for balance. The goal is to maintain the same spine position and abdominal contraction the entire time you march (1-2 minutes).
Squatting: Stand upright with your feet spread apart. Draw in your abdominal contraction as above. Squat down and come up slowly, keeping the same upright position. There should be no movement in your spine; all the movement is coming from your legs. Maintain the abdominal contraction the whole time, and do not hold your breath. Repeat at least 5-10 times. Only squat as far as you can with proper back position. And decrease the depth of the squat so as not to cause any knee pain.
To be continued!
Sitting: Sit upright without leaning on the back of your chair. Make sure there is a small arch in your low back and that your shoulders are slightly back (under your ears). Your neck should not be strained forward. Look straight ahead. Now draw in your abs by bringing your belly button straight back toward your spine. Hold this position, without holding your breath, for 10 seconds. Repeat at least 5 times or just maintain the position for 1-2 minutes.
Standing: Stand upright with your back in the same position as described above. Draw in your belly button toward your spine. Hold this position, without holding your breath. Maintain the abdominal contraction as you slowly march in place (only lift each leg a few inches each time you march). Use arm support if needed for balance. The goal is to maintain the same spine position and abdominal contraction the entire time you march (1-2 minutes).
Squatting: Stand upright with your feet spread apart. Draw in your abdominal contraction as above. Squat down and come up slowly, keeping the same upright position. There should be no movement in your spine; all the movement is coming from your legs. Maintain the abdominal contraction the whole time, and do not hold your breath. Repeat at least 5-10 times. Only squat as far as you can with proper back position. And decrease the depth of the squat so as not to cause any knee pain.
To be continued!
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