Lower back issues? It may be your posture

Individuals who suffer from lower back discomfort can struggle to do basic movements.  This can limit physical activity, and as a result, can negatively impact a person’s overall health.  Before turning to pain medication or pricey doctor appointments to try to resolve the problem, an individual should first look at their hip angle.  

If  the hip angle is tilted forward from a neutral position, a person will eventually have lower back issues. This is called having a sway back or anterior tilt.  

There are many reasons why this occurs, but the main reason is the lower back muscles and hip flexors are tight, and the abdominal and glute muscles are weak, causing the pelvis to tilt forward.  Individuals who do little to no physical activity or find themselves having to sit for large portions of the day are more susceptible to sway back.

Instead of trying to mask the issue with pain medication, let’s look at three ways to address sway back and fix the problem. Having a training plan that incorporates stretching, strengthening and posture awareness can truly help resolve back issues.  It is not a quick fix; it is a process that should continue throughout an individual’s life.

Stretching:

Child’s Position: Get on the ground on your knees and extend your arms onto the floor in front of you.  Try to have your hips resting against your ankles. If you are unable to get your hips to your ankles, you can place some padding between your ankles and your butt until your range of motion improves.  Hold that position for 20-60 seconds; repeat 3 or 4 times.

Bench hip flexor stretch: In a front lunge position, bend your rear leg and rest it on a bench.  You can place some type of padding under your knee if needed. In this position extend both arms above your head.  From this position lean forward to stretch the hip flexor. You will hold that position for 15-30 seconds, repeat that 3 to 4 times on each leg.

Strengthening:

Single-leg bridge: This will target one glute at a time, minimizing the lower back muscles. If the lower back muscles are too involved in the movement, they can take over for the glutes; we want to eliminate that possibility.  Lie on your back with your feet planted on the ground. Grab one knee and pull it into your chest. Press down with your other foot and raise your hips off of the ground as high as you can. Hold for 1-2 seconds and repeat 8 to 10 times with each leg.

Standing squat: Stand with feet shoulder width apart and drop hips as if you were sitting in a chair.  Keep both arms extended straight out. The goal is to get the knee angle to 90 degrees while keeping the knees behind the toes; don’t lean forward.  Start with no weight; you can add weight as training progresses, as long as form does not fall apart. Do 3 or 4 sets of 8-12 reps.

Elbow or push-up plank/knee to elbow: Holding an elbow or push-up plank, make sure hips stay in line with spine.  Bend one knee so you can bring it to the elbow on the same side without losing form.  Repeat 5 to 10 times on one side before repeating on opposite side; do 3 or 4 reps on both legs.

Posture Awareness:

Stand sideways in front of a mirror and move pelvis into a neutral position.  That is the position to hold during all exercise movements.

All of these stretches and exercises can be found online if you need to see a video to better understand the movement.  If an individual is able to work on these movements for 12 to 15 weeks, they will see their posture improve and back pain should subside.  

By: Personal Trainer/Coach: Kevin Danahy (TriCoach)

Website: www.TriCoach.us

Coach Danahy

-B.S. Exercise Science/Coaching

-M.S. Performance Enhancement/Coaching

-NASM Performance Enhancement Specialist

-NASM Speed Specialist

-USA Triathlon: Level II Certified Coach

-SICI Professional Bike Fitter