Spine flexibility training exercises

Cat-cow stretch, seated spinal twist, baby's side stretch, horizontal bar hang, foam roller back roll. There is no need to follow the flashy Internet celebrity movements. If you practice these correctly, it is enough to solve the usual problems of tight cervical spine, unable to rotate the thoracic spine, and stiff lumbar spine that cannot bend down.

Don’t think it’s useless to move less. I worked in Internet operations for three years, and it was normal to sit for 12 hours a day. When I turned my head, I could hear the click of my cervical vertebrae, and I had to move slowly when I bent down to tie my shoelaces. I have successively found a sports rehabilitation practitioner, a CrossFit coach, and a yoga teacher. Among the training lists given by people in three different fields, these are the ones with the highest degree of overlap. It’s just that different groups have different requirements. There is no need to stick to a certain standard, just find what suits you.

Let’s talk about Mao Niu stretching first. At first, I followed the yoga videos on the Internet. Every time I lowered my waist to the lowest level and arched it to the highest level, my waist would always be sore for two or three days after practicing. Later, the rehabilitation therapist corrected my movements: ordinary people don’t need to pursue the full range of stretching. The core should be gently closed and heavy. Move the thoracic vertebrae slowly, flexing and extending one by one. It is enough to feel that every vertebra in the back is moving. On the contrary, the yoga teacher said that if you do not have a waist injury, you can completely follow your breathing. Inhale, bend your waist and raise your head, exhale, arch your back and chest, and stretch to the maximum extent. I have tried both, and the latter is fine for daily relaxation. If your waist is prone to soreness, it is safer to choose the former. Now I do 10 cat-cow exercises every morning when I wake up, which can dissipate most of the drowsiness I feel when I wake up.

Let’s talk about an action that many people mistakenly think is a back training exercise: horizontal bar hanging. I always thought this was done by those who work out and gain muscle. Later, the rehabilitation specialist said that this is the only stretching exercise that puts the least pressure on the lumbar spine. The opinions here are even more different. The strength coach will ask you to tighten your core, sink your shoulder blades, and practice shoulder and back stability while hanging. Instead, the rehabilitation teacher said that ordinary people can just relax and hang. You can even put your feet on the ground to relieve the force. There is no need to hang the whole body straight. Hanging for 30 seconds at a time is enough. I installed a no-punch horizontal bar behind my door. Now the first thing I do when I get home from get off work is hang it for half a minute. The moment I stand up, I can clearly feel that my lumbar spine is being "stretched". It is much more relaxing than lying on the sofa and scrolling through my phone for ten minutes.

Oh, by the way, there is also a magical tool for catching fish, which is to twist the spine in a sitting position. Many people shrug their shoulders as soon as they twist their body. I used to do this. After turning my neck, I felt even more tired. There is no threshold for this movement. You can do it while sitting on a chair. Keep your sit bones firmly against the chair surface. Straighten your back first, then slowly turn to one side starting from the thoracic spine. Follow your shoulders with your eyes. You don’t have to move to sweating. Stop for 10 seconds if you feel a slight stretch. If you have a protruding lumbar spine, don't twist it too hard. The yoga teacher will ask you to put your opposite hand on the outside of your knee to use force when turning. The rehabilitation practitioner says that you don't need to use force and just turn slowly by yourself. I usually do this secretly on the chair during the second half of a long meeting. My colleagues next to me can't even notice it, and my entire upper body is no longer stiff after turning.

What I must do before going to bed is the baby's side stretch. I kneel on my heels, lie forward with my upper body, and stretch my hands toward the top of my head. When I reach to the left, I can feel the right side of my waist being stretched. When I reach to the right, I stretch the left side. There is no need to press hard. Just lie down comfortably for 30 seconds. If you have bad knees, don’t push your knees too tightly together. Spread them to a comfortable width. You can even put a pillow under your belly. It’s soft and can stretch and decompress at the same time. Some yoga schools require the thighs to be close to the abdomen. I tried it once and my knees hurt for a long time, but then I felt more comfortable. Anyway, just stretch to feel the position, and I am not going to take a yoga certificate.

Finally, foam rolling is quite controversial. Many fitness bloggers will teach you full back rolls. I followed them once before, and my lumbar spine hurt after rolling for two days. Later I learned that the consensus in the rehabilitation circle is that the thoracic spine can be rolled, but the lumbar spine must not be rolled. It will easily add extra shear force to the lumbar spine. Don't use brute force when rolling, just use your own weight to rock slowly. It's definitely wrong if it hurts so much that you grimace. A little soreness is just right. I usually roll for two minutes after doing shoulder exercises or sitting for a whole day, and the hard knots in my back can soften, which is very refreshing.

Oh, by the way, an important reminder: If you already have clear scoliosis, acute lumbar protrusion, or persistent pain in a certain segment of your spine, don’t practice blindly on your own. See a doctor or rehabilitation practitioner for evaluation first. All of the above are the experiences of ordinary people who usually don’t have any serious problems, but are prone to stiffness due to sitting and standing for long periods of time. There is no need to pursue how standard and beautiful the movements are. The first priority is to be comfortable and not feel uncomfortable after doing it. After all, we practice this to feel good, not to take photos and submit homework, right?