06/02/2020
Yes!
The spine is an amazing structure but it seems to cause a lot of people trouble.
But does it have to?
No.
But that requires reframing how you think about your back.
Many of the things we “know” about the spine are relics from the past or just plain wrong.
They were ideas that got put out out there by someone because they sounded plausible (i.e. discs slip, backs go out).
And then they made their way into our common conceptions about our backs.
Your foot doesn’t just pop out of place and it is absorbing huge forces and has more than two dozen joints.
Why would it be any different in your back?
Seriously, think of all the areas on you that you move, bend, and use with no complaints (or fewer).
Chances are you don’t look at your hand and say it’s to weak to carry in groceries.
Our back needs 3 things to be healthy:
Move It:
The body hates static postures. Move, move, move. Change position every 10-20 minutes. Stand up, sit down, take a short walk, get up and do some jumping jacks. Cobra pose, dance, flip someone off, whatever will get you moving.
Don’t Shock It:
If you are doing something you don’t do often...I’m looking at you snow shoveling, SLOW DOWN. You’re basically doing a full body workout that is incorporating cardio and weight training.
You muscle going to fatigue fast.
Even yoga can p**s your back off if you jump in to fast. It’s a complex structure that needs time to adapt and figure out what you’re asking it to do.
Don’t treat your spine like it’s fragile:
It is adaptable. And many things you may have believe to be “bad” for it just aren’t.
Flexion, extension, running, dead lifts, the list is huge. You back can do just about anything if you work with it and follow the other suggestions above.
Use your back. Or lose your back.
P.S. if you’re the weight training type, skip the sit-ups and focus on your glutes, QL, psoas, and back extensors.
The six-pack gets all the love, while the back-pack is neglected.
Westminster, Colorado
