Got back pain? (Or, know someone who does?)
In this video with my 72 y/o Mom I'll show you one simple stretch to fix the knots in your upper back in less than 60 seconds
It helps with neck and shoulder pain too!
To your health,
Chad Walding
CoFounder of NativePath PS - I'd love to connect with you! Don't forget to say hi and introduce yourself in our private NativePath Community!
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Please click below to see Dr. Chad demonstrate a new movement--> Posture correction...
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]]>This is video is part of a NativePath series to help you naturally strengthen your
body and reduce pain at home. To take the Pain quiz click
here===> https://bit.ly/3e3XC5f
Chronic back pain can keep you from living a fully functional life. And, when back pain is debilitating, it’s hard to focus on much else. Your back pain might be so severe that you turn to strong medications and surgeries in search of relief. But what if I told you relief from your lower back pain is just one incredibly effective stretch away?
Something that continues to amaze me as a physical therapist is how simple movements, designed to preserve and restore your body, can cause a profound reduction or even elimination of symptoms from imbalances in our bodies developed over decades.
The most common causes of back pain that I see are from constantly flexing your spine, having poor posture, and sitting most of the time. A chronically flexed spine creates flexion-based back pain and contributes to incredibly harmful imbalances in our bodies. These imbalances lead to chronic pain, especially in the lower back. And, consequently, there’s a damaging cumulative effect from all this flexion.
So, today I want to show you a very simple stretch you can do to reduce your back pain and restore flexibility and mobility in your body. It’s just one of the body movement stretches in my range of 3-minute exercises, and I’m confident you’ll experience relief when you try this stretch.
Mobility is important to your physical health. When you incorporate daily stretching into your life, you increase your range of motion, prevent injury, and increase your flexibility. These are just some of what makes stretching such an effective tool for relieving back pain.
Along with relief from your back pain, there are benefits of incorporating specific stretches into your daily routine such as:1
When we think about our physical fitness and the types of exercises we do, stretching is often overlooked. But, stretching really should be part of your everyday routine to help prevent injury, protect your mobility, and to keep you healthy.
Research tells us that most of us spend at least half of the day sitting down. And at least 80 percent of us are suffering from back pain because of it. The most alarming part of this review of over 47 studies shows people who sit for large periods of time have a higher risk of dying from all causes compared to those with more active lifestyles.2
I know, it’s a very grim reality. But, one I hope helps to convey just how important it is to take intentional action to reduce damaging strain on your back caused by a chronically flexed spine. And, one of the best ways to do this is to work towards healing and preventing injury through stretching. Incorporating stretches like the one coming up, is incredibly beneficial to your health and promotes longevity.
I want to point out that simply standing, improving your posture, or even exercising won’t actually resolve the current imbalances in your body. This is because these attempts to help yourself feel better don’t address the damage already done by chronic flexion. Even if you exercise every single day, it’s not enough to offset the damage already done.3
The pain you feel in your lower back is caused by constantly flexing your spine. Spinal flexion is when you do a forward bending movement creating an arch in your back. And, unfortunately, when your back is in a flexed position most of the time it’s really problematic. When you have too much flexion in your spine you create too much load for your spine to effectively handle.
Think about when you sit down at your computer or in front of the TV, your posture is probably a little hunched forward with your shoulders rounded. Or when you bend forward to unload the dishes or pick up a laundry basket, you are most likely bending at the waist, rounding your back forward without using your legs at all. Your entire spine goes from a natural and neutral “S”-shaped position to a slumped forward “C”-shaped position.
Your body has adapted to this C-shaped position, making damaging and dysfunctional changes to your musculoskeletal system. And back pain is the most common musculoskeletal condition.3
Unfortunately, most people don't realize they’re in a chronically flexed state until they have noticeable dysfunction in their bodies. Remember, simply bending forward incorrectly creates flexion in your back and sets you up for all kinds of injuries.
Your spine is designed to be strong and flexible so that it’s able to protect your spinal cord. Chronic flexion of your spine reduces its strength and causes your vertebrae to push on the discs in your spinal cord. When the pressure is more than your spine can bear, you end up with painful symptoms such as:4
The best way to avoid all of these symptoms is to do things that promote a strong and flexible spine so it can do its job at protecting your back. When you do the stretch I’m going to show you next, the discs in your back are brought back into alignment and relieved of pressure.
The stretch I’m going to walk you through is called press-ups. To see it demonstrated, please watch the first half of the video below.
Before you perform the exercise, I want you to give your pain a number on a scale of 1 to 10. Then, while standing up straight, bend at your waist and reach down towards your toes, only going as far as you can comfortably go.
Keep these two things in mind and you’ll reevaluate your pain level and flexibility after you perform the press-ups.
Here’s how to perform press-ups:
Step one: Lay face-down on a firm surface, legs fully extended, with the tops of your feet resting on the floor.
Step two: Place your hands next to your shoulders, fingers pointing forward, and your elbows tight against your body.
Step three: Completely relax your body – especially your lower back, glutes (aka your bottom), and legs.
Step four: With your hands directly under your shoulders, inhale deeply through your nose, and fully extend your arms as you gently press up as far as you can comfortably go. Keep the insides of your elbows facing inward towards your body. Hold for a few seconds.
Step five: As you exhale through your mouth, try to find even more ease in your body. Remember to keep your back, glutes, and legs completely relaxed.
Step six: Gently bend your elbows as you lower your chest to the floor. Repeat this stretch 10 times.
Now, reassess your pain on a scale from 1 to 10. If your pain improved or remained the same, continue doing this exercise. But, if your pain increased, this is probably not the right stretch for you.
Next, reassess how far you can bend forward. Are you able to reach farther? My patients often find their flexibility improves just by performing this stretch. However, if, when you try the forward bending test at the end of the stretch, you’re unable to go as far as you did before the stretch, this may not be an exercise for you.
You want to repeat this exercise every two hours, if possible, for five to seven days until you’re pain-free. But, don’t worry, even if you’re unable to do this stretch this often, you’ll still benefit from it!
A note of caution. This stretch is appropriate for about 80-90 percent of those with back pain. But, there are some who should avoid this stretch. If you’ve had a lumbar fusion or have ankylosing spondylitis or spondylolisthesis, this is not an ideal stretch for you.
As always, I’m a huge advocate of prevention. When it comes to preventing back pain, you want to focus on creating habits that prevent postural misalignment from happening in the first place.
A few ways to create these habits are:
Unless you’re incredibly attuned to your body, chances are you already have some misalignment that needs correcting. Fortunately, I’ve created a number of exercises designed to do just that. My full-body exercises reverse the negative effects of a lifetime of misalignment and restore your body from the harm caused by years of chronic flexion.
I’m really passionate about helping people treat their back pain naturally. It’s so frustrating for me to see patients who come to see me for their back pain, taking too much medicine and undergoing too many surgeries to try and fix the problem. Especially when a simple thing like incorrect body positioning is the problem.
The truth is, you don’t have to rely on unnatural and expensive remedies to find relief. You can fix your back pain and posture with a series of simple, corrective movements. In a series of exercises, I walk you through corrective body movements through videos and guides. You can follow along with these full-body exercises in the comfort of your own home – no equipment needed! Each movement has a specific purpose and is designed to help bring ease of movement to your body and to relax your muscles. And, the best part is it won’t take months or even weeks for you to feel better.
After just a few days of following my movement exercises, you’ll see results as it works to bring spinal alignment and decompression of your chest, restoring you to a strong and upright posture.
Ready to say good-bye to your back pain for good? Check out our NativePath movement exercises today!
Resources:
1 https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-importance-of-stretching
]]>When done correctly, planks are one of the best and simplest exercises you can master, and are great for individuals who can’t make it to a gym because they don’t require any special equipment and can be done almost anywhere. Grab a mat or get comfortable on your carpet, and let’s discuss the benefits and step-by-step methods of proper planking techniques.
The beauty of a plank is that it gets a lot of muscles working and contracting all at once (gluteal, quadriceps, abdominal, and arm muscle groups), not just one. That’s why it’s such an effective all-body exercise, although many people just think of planks as a way to get stronger abs.
Benefits of planking include:
Planks are one of my all-time favorite exercises to recommend because they are so easy to implement in your workout and have such a variety of benefits. Of course, to reap these benefits, you have to be performing a plank correctly.
Like any exercise, planks only work when performed correctly, and can lead to injury when not done right. To get the most out of your plank, focus on correct form and remember that quality is better than quantity. In other words, it won’t matter how long you can hold a plank position if your muscles aren’t being worked in the way they should.
To perform a correct plank, place your forearms on the ground, with your shoulders directly above your elbows. Your arms should form a perfect 90° angle. Next, tuck your toes under and lift your knees off the floor, keeping your back flat and your feet together.
Here are six key steps to keep in mind when performing this exercise:
Want a demonstration? Check out this video Brenda and I made to explain the importance of good plank form.
Incorrect planking techniques to watch out for:
Will planks help flatten my stomach?
Over time, planks can help tone and flatten the stomach. Planks are a great tummy-flattening exercise because they work all of the muscles in your core (including the hips, back, and oblique muscles), not just the surface abdominal muscles (the muscles that form ‘six-packs’).
Who can do planks?
Planks are a great exercise for both young and old, athletic and non-athletic individuals. Don’t do planks if you find it’s painful to get on the floor, but in general, this exercise is great for anyone.
How long should I hold a plank?
Aim for 30-60 seconds when holding a plank. You might not be able to do this right away, so try working up to those amounts. Remember, a properly-performed plank should not be easy to hold for long periods of time. It’s okay to start slowly: try holding a plank for 10 seconds, resting for 10 seconds, then holding for another 10 seconds as you build up to longer intervals. Aim to plank for three minutes, even if you need to take breaks along the way.
What are side planks and other plank variations?
There are many variations of planks, including side planks, reverse planks, plank crunches, and more. Forearm planks (the kind we talk about in this article) are the basis for all of these exercises. Make sure you’re able to perform a proper forearm plank before trying variations, but all planking exercises are great for increasing core strength and stability.
Should I use instability devices when planking?
For now, we recommend starting with and mastering the basic forearm plank. As you saw in our video, planks are difficult and effective exercises at any fitness level. Instability devices like medicine balls can be a great way to increase resistance, but we recommend these devices only after you’ve mastered the original forearm plank.
Can I plank if I’m pregnant?
Planks are one of the best exercises for expecting mothers, because they strengthen both the core and back muscles without putting too much pressure on the spine (like a sit-up would). If you have any concerns about exercising while pregnant, speak to your primary practitioner about what core exercises are safe.
What is a plank challenge?
Plank challenges are usually a combination of different plank variations performed in a short time period (a few minutes or less), often without a break. Plank challenges can be a great way to break up the monotony of holding a static position, but they aren’t the only way to incorporate planks into your routine. If you’re new to exercising or working out your core, keep it simple for now: just try adding a few planks to the beginning or end of each workout. You’ll love the stability you build over time!
Planks are a great exercise that incorporate so many muscle groups, making it one of the most effective exercises I teach. Focusing on exercises like this lead to less pain, increased stability, better movement, and overall health, letting your body function the way nature intended.
At NativePath, we believe that the whole body is integrated, and we teach exercises (like planks) and nutritional techniques that reflect this. If you’re ready to incorporate this kind of holistic well-being into your everyday life, I recommend trying our NativeBody Reset Program, a 30-day, whole-body exercise and nutrition program I designed to help you discover your best and healthiest self. We focus on teaching at-home movements that reduce joint pain and increase muscle tone so you can look and feel your best, whatever you’re doing.
Ready to reclaim your vitality? Join us today in the path to whole-body wellness!
References: