Recently there was a piece on Public Radio about the lost art of bending over. It generated a lot of waves among my clients. All the sudden they were talking about the concept of bending like a cashew and they all thought, that wasn’t a pretty image.
Let’s shed some light on how to bend over.
There’re 2 different ways to do it:
– Bending your spine like a cashew (or a letter C)
-Hinging at the hip with a straight back
I know it’s a bit hard to imagine what these techniques look like, so please scroll down and take a look at the image of the 2 backs. One is bent (like a cashew…) and the other is straight.
Which one do you think is the right technique? I’ll save you the guess work. It is the straight back. The technique itself is called the hip hinge. That’s what you want to practice and get really good at, instead of bending your spine into a letter C.
In the US most people bend like a cashew…no wonder so many of them have bulging discs and chronic back pain.
When you hip hinge, your spine can stay in a neutral position, while the hips and upper legs support your body weight. When you bend at the waist, the back curves, putting stress on the spine.
In order to hip hinge properly, your hamstrings have to lengthen. If you have tight hamstrings, they prevent you from bending over easily in that way.
Tight hamstrings are extremely common. They may be one reason why hip hinging has faded from our culture: Stiff hamstrings will take away your ability to bend properly.
I know it can be extremely hard to figure our what movements trigger your back pain. If you need help in learning better movement techniques, getting stronger and increasing your flexibility (including your tight hamstrings!), I want you to know, that I’m here to help.
I developed a 3 month Pain Elimination Plan for you. By the time summer begins, you could have a strong, functioning back and you won’t have to worry about back pain putting a damper on your vacation!
Reply to this email with a short description of your condition and let’s take the next step together on the road of healing and feeling better!
P.S. Here is an inspirational video from a client who transformed her life and got rid of her back pain by completing my 3 months Pain Elimination Plan.
