Originally posted May 23, 2014.
Who has a low back issue or aches?
Who wakes up stiff in the morning?
Who wants to be able to exercise and feel no pain?
Who wants great results?
All this lies in keeping your body in a stable position.
If any part of your body hurts or feels aches, you absolutely cannot dismiss the muscles and joints above or below it to be a part of the issue.
Take tight hip flexors? Most of us have them.
The hip flexors are the muscle that are used in squats, running, sitting… So you can see why most of us would have tight hip flexors.
The most important thing you should know about this is that tight hip flexors are guaranteed going to affect your lower back and create sacral problems. If you were going to do 1 thing before and after every session, I would be stretching out your hip flexors.
Because the more fit you get at BEFIT and transfer energy through tight hip flexors, the more it will trash your back.
You can’t isolate a low back problem by saying it is the low back muscles (errector spinae) that are the issue. It is your body as a whole that is creating this.
ENTER THE #1 THING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT EXERCISING BEFORE EXERCISING (And the entire purpose of this post).
You need to stay tight.
Midline stabilization – a term used for keeping your spine stable and straight from your hip through your head.
Also known as core stability (I know you have heard that phrase before!)
Midline stabilization is essential for safe and effective functional movement.
And functional movement is a lot of what we do at BEFIT.
Deadlifts are functional, squats are functional, pushups are functional, kettlebell swings are functional…
You get the point.
DO THIS IN EVERY EXERCISE!
You may be so tight in fact, that it is very hard for you to maintain midline stabilization.
Its all about practice and competency in keeping this ideal position so that you can injury proof your body.
Here’s how to keep your midline stabile (courtesy of the supple leopard):
Taking it a step further…The Belly Whack Test
Thanks guys, every exercise keep it tight, and watch out for the belly whack! 😉
Josh Saunders
BEFIT.
Lifestyle. Strength. Performance
