Now more than ever a daily movement practice should become a staple over the coming weeks. With social isolation in full force, stress, confinement and lack of everyday movement can potentiate aches and pains as well as tension in places that are common areas for those with reoccurring problems.
An interesting observation in our practice is that patients who practice some form of daily movement be it Yoga/Pilates/Tai chi/Running or strength training manage their recreational and real-life activities with strength and confidence.
It creates a sense of well being and acts as a barometer when certain areas of the body aren't moving with ease. From a physiological perspective daily movement when done in the correct dosage with the right intent has many benefits.
It creates lubrication of the joints, promotes blood circulation to areas which might be lacking as a result of sitting, loads the connective tissue to reinforce it. At a systemic level, the stimulation of nerve endings in both the joint capsule, fascia, and muscle is like candy for the brain. All that movement is fed through the peripheral nervous system to the brain and creates a learning environment for the motor cortex and stimulates centers in the brain that regulate the autonomic (unconscious) system. The benefits of such stimulation are a brain that is more plastic (think exercise for your brain) and change your autonomic state in a matter of minutes. The shift in the state is from a stressed anxious state to a calmer clearer state of mind.
The key functions of the practice are to increase the core body temperature and promote circulation, Prime the nervous system for more dynamic movement throughout the day, and lubricate the joint surfaces. Below are some of our recommended choices making up a daily movement practice:
1) The Czech getup: (10 to each side)(If you are pain-sensitive always perform within your tolerance. Pain should not be more then a 6/10) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z93MyQ-sCIo
2) Getting the hip joints mobilized: (Hold for 45 seconds on both sides) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLuvQCTPrcY&list=PLtyPctjT2r9yaX536MWMeXRrIAXce5iW2&index=1
3) For the Midback:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V76A42jT8wo&list=PL4qucIlemaht68WVZVipE06XqgGLWuYpY&index=3
4) Full body movement: (Bear Crawl) (i recommend 5 rounds of crawling for roughly 5/6 meters in length.)
https://www.youtube.com/watchv=11okyirK_sA&list=PL4qucIlemaht68WVZVipE06XqgGLWuYpY&index=35
5) It wouldn't be complete without a bird dog: (7-10 on each side.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxo0lDGLNkw
Treat your spine like you would your teeth:
So you have just embarked on a fitness journey. Got all the kit and have joined the hottest fitness craze on the block. Three weeks down the line you are feeling great but there is something niggling in your back. The next morning you wake up to brush your teeth and your back locks! This is an all too familiar scenario I see in my practice.
If your routine includes lots of forwards bending (think loading a dishwasher or washing machine or lifting heavy boxes off the floor) or exercise such as crunches/situps/jackknives etc…. you might be setting yourself up for trouble.
These commonly performed exercises have been shown in studies by the foremost lower back expert Dr Stuart McGill to cause high shear loads through your spine and its soft parts (Disk, ligaments and cartilage surrounding the vertebra).
Dr Mcgill went on to develop 3 fundamental core exercises to help keep your spine stable, healthy and pain free. He describes the practice of these exercises like regular dental hygiene in that they should be done on a daily bases. It is important to note that these can be done in the absence of pain and will ensure a bulletproof lower back.
The 1st is the Mcgill situp and is designed to create a feeling of stability and safety in an achy spine.
The 2nd is the Mcgill side bridge. It helps connect the pelvis and the lower back and allows the lower back to move robustly in sideways movements.
The 3rd is the bird dog and it is a great way to get good core activation and fires up your Glutes. It also helps connect opposite sides of the body which is fundamental to human movement. Click here to see how they are performed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_e4I-brfqs)
Last but not least and probably the best “Magic Bullet” in combating lower back pain is a simple 20 minute flat walk at a brisk pace.
The three exercises above should be dosed appropriately and should be done in accordance with your pain threshold. This means that if 5 reps is the most you can do without the exercise hurting you then that is the baseline for the number of reps you start with and eventually build up to ten reps on each side. Ideally in people who are in pain these exercises can be repeated 3 times per day.