Lower crossed (sore back) syndrome

Do you sit at a desk? Me too. For more time than I care to admit. How much time do you spend re-setting your posture or changing position or getting up for a stretch? Yeah, me neither. And I wonder why my back hurts. One thing that may be contributing to our discomfort is called lower crossed syndrome. Now, I'm not saying this is the only contributor, or even that it is contributing, for that you would need to be assessed properly. What I am saying is that this is a common issue with all us desk jockeys out there and it can be combatted with some simple moves that don't require a gym membership.

Let's first talk about what we are dealing with. Think of muscles like guy wires. Each joint has guy wires on each side of it that control how it moves (or doesn't move). In this case we are talking about the joints above and below your pelvis (lumbar spine and hips). Sitting in a typical "desk" posture can cause muscles in the lower back and others that flex your hips to become shortened and tight (sore). The muscles (guy wires) opposite them (abs and glutes) become long and weak. Over time, this imbalance can lead to whats called an anterior pelvic tilt; it just means your pelvis is tilted forward. It doesn't happen overnight, but it happens.

So, what to do? Well, we need to strengthen (shorten) the weak, long muscles and lengthen (stretch) the tight, short, grumpy muscles so we can be balanced again. Here are some exercises to get you started. 

Remember: these should not hurt. Feel the stretch, not pain. Only do what you can with proper form, the sets/reps given are a guideline only. Focus on your breathing and feeling the proper muscles involved. Quality of movement not quantity. Listen to your body.

Modified child's pose gets at the muscles affecting the lower back (erectors, quadratus lumborum, latissimus dorsi). Really reach across and try and feel/ create separation between your ribs and hip! 

This hip flexor stretch is awesome! Not only does it stretch a hard to get at muscle (ilio-psoas), it improves your hip and ankle mobility and gets your core stabilizers working. Feel like there is a cable attached to your belt above your down leg. It's pulling you forward while you maintain a vertical spine. The ilio-psoas pulls your knee toward your chest (hip-flexor) and is attached to your lumbar spine so when it is tight, lower back pain is often the symptom. 

Ahhh...glute bridges, everyones favourite. If you haven't figured it out, the gluteals are the muscles that make up your butt. Sitting for long periods can "de-activate" them. Let's get them firing again! If you are getting cramps in your hamstrings when you do these then you aren't concentrating on squeezing your butt hard enough. If they are too easy, try lifting one foot off the ground, bringing your knee toward your chest while keeping your pelvis level and your hip, knee, foot inline. Yeah, I thought so.

Dead bugs. Don't underestimate this one. Get into a rhythm with your breathing. You'll feel it. If you use a ball like I am in the picture, squeeze it between your hand and knee while you are reaching with the opposite hand and foot. "Bracing" means feel your core muscles engaged/ activated. If you need to reset your core between each rep, do it!

You can think of these in terms of sets and reps or you can do them for time, say 30s each set to start. I like to think in terms of breaths, 5 breaths is about 20s, you get the idea. When you can do them easily with proper form, add more time.

You can do these everyday- roll out of bed onto your yoga matt and give them a try, it won't hurt you and it just might reduce your low back pain. 

Enjoy! No really!

The spine

Where do you start with a training program? Do you want to build strong legs to improve your skating speed? How about shoulders and forearms to add power to your tennis stroke? Better yet, let's go after the often talked about "core" with some crunches or sit-ups. Will this help you generate more power and improve at your sport? It will if you start with the most important part first- the spine. The spine needs to be flexible and stable in order to adapt to the many different movements we are capable of (mobility) and to support the body and transfer power (stability) that we generate. There is no doubt that sit-ups and crunches develop our abdominals but it is important to remember that spine stability cannot be trained when the spine is moving. Spinal stability is trained by keeping the spine stable in the presence of movement around it by the limbs. So if you are say...a golfer, the next time you see someone in the gym doing "bird dogs" or "dead bugs" while focusing on not moving their spine, pay attention. They might be able to out drive you.

Walk before you run

Walk before you run is a great metaphor for FMS based exercise protocols. Traditionally it was thought that if you train someone, their movement will improve at the same time. This is not really the case. All you are doing is reinforcing the faulty movement patterns that exist, increasing the already imbalanced stress on your joints, ligaments, and muscles, and potentially increasing your chance of sustaining an injury. How many times have you heard this old gem; practice makes perfect. Let's blow this one up right now. If you are repeating the same faulty movements over and over while you train/practice and expect something to change or improve you are going to be disappointed. In fact, that is the very definition of insanity; repeating the same thing, expecting different results. So try this mantra on for size; practicing perfect makes perfect. Thanks to the person that thought this one up! Think about it, or better yet, think about it during your workout. Now it is about quality of movement, not quantity of movement. Being able to do a bunch of pushups is meaningless and a waste of your time if you aren't reinforcing the proper movement patterns and muscle recruitment. Who has time to waste? Sometimes you have to go back, re-learn the fundamentals, before you can move forward efficiently and effectively. FMS can help you do that.

Energy Leaks

Energy leaks are performance robbing, energy sapping inefficiencies in your movement. If you are a runner, you are losing energy that is supposed to be propelling you forward. A golfer looses yardage on a drive. A hockey player can't skate as fast. you get the idea. Often, energy leaks occur where the body transfers energy from bottom to top; your core A.K.A. your transmission. Energy leaks also occur when areas that are supposed to be stable are mobile or vice versa. Example: your need mobility in your hips to run well but, for some reason, it is lacking. That mobility has to come from somewhere so it comes from, let's say, your lumbar region which is supposed to be playing a stable role. Now energy is "leaking" as it tries to transfer between your upper and lower body. How do you plug the leak? A Functional Movement Screen (FMS) can help reveal where your leaks are. Properly prescribed exercises can then be used to address them. Voila! Energy conserved.
Here is a real life example: A client who is a rec. hockey player comes to me, we run through the screen, see the issues and prescribe targeted exercises focused on improving his recruitment patterns (fundamental motor patterns). After doing his homework for 2 weeks he emails me to comment on how he felt a noticeable difference in his energy levels both during and after his last hockey game. Did he do any cardio work? No. Is he using the energy available to him more efficiently because he is moving better? No doubt. Has he improved his fitness? I guess it depends how you define "fitness"

Motor patterns

Ever wonder how we can repeat something like a golf swing over and over with the same results (hopefully)? How do all those muscles know how to fire in the correct sequence? Motor patterns. Instead of having to coordinate individual muscles every time, our brain saves the info like an app. When we have to hit a shot, we already have the basic software programmed. All we have to do is make slight adjustments based on lie, wind, etc... and swing the club. But what if a past injury or unhealthy posture has made us re-write the program in order to avoid pain, putting us out of sequence? Where do those motor programs come from anyway? The motor programs for higher level activities, like golf, are built on the fundamental functional patterns that we establish as babies when we are flexible, have unrestricted joints, and can achieve authentic movement. If our primitive functional patterns have flaws, how can we expect to run our high level patterns effectively? Fix/train the fundamental pattern (foundation) and the advanced patterns can be executed without compensation.

That means better golf shots!!

Mobility or Stability

Which one is more important to an athlete? How about the average person? The truth is; you can't have efficient movement without both! Take the golf swing for example: you need mobility in your shoulders (Glenohumeral joint) to swing the club well, but without stability of your shoulder blades (Scapulothoracic joint) you will struggle to control your golf ball (the whole point). A fitness protocol for golf needs to address both mobility and stability specifically for that person. There is no cookie cutter approach that works. Remember S.M.A.R.T goals? Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.