Back to the future

Is your back sore? Well if it isn't now, isn't it occasionally sore? I thought so. I don't know if I've ever met someone whose back wasn't sore at least sometimes.  The truth of the matter is that most back soreness is cause by either (A) tightness somewhere in the posterior chain (calves, hamstrings, glutes, or lower back muscles), or (B) a weak core.

If your back problems stem from a weak core, that's an issue that will take some work; but right now I want to focus on the tightness. A lot of people have jobs that require them to sit for extended periods of time. The first thing you want to do is make sure you are sitting with a good posture: abs holding you upright, chest out, shoulders back, sitting nice and tall. You also want to stand up from time to time. We as humans have not evolved to be a creature that sits for 8-10 hours a day, so taking a break every couple of hours to stand and move around a bit is a good thing.

In addition to this, your going to want to stretch a little.

Start with your lower back
Do some very deep squats where you tuck your chin into your chest and roll your hips forward. This will stretch your back, especially in the lower back region which can be difficult to target.  Do anywhere from 10 to 20 of these, pausing at the bottom for 5 to 10 seconds, and then standing up slowly.

Then the glutes
My favorite stretch for the glutes is the pigeon stretch, commonly used in yoga practice. Lie down on your stomach and bring one knee up under you as if you are kneeling on it. Then allow your foot to move up toward your face a bit (keeping it on the ground) the way a windshield wiper would move.  Keep your other leg back and straight. When you find the position that feels like a stretch (it shouldn't hurt), lean your weight to the opposite side of that raised foot. Hold this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute, and repeat on the other side.

Next move onto your hamstrings
Elevate one foot onto something that's about knee high and stable. Lean over that leg, keeping the leg straight, while trying to get your head toward your knee. Hold this anywhere from 30 seconds to 1 minute, then switch legs. You should feel the stretch directly behind your knee. After that, repeat, but with your leg slightly bent. This should target more of the meat of your hamstring a bit higher up toward your butt.


Last we hit the calves
Simply walk up to any wall, put your heel on the floor, and elevate your toes as you place them against the wall. Then lean forward. This should get into those calves nicely. The higher your toe, and the more pressure down from your heel, the more intense the stretch will be. Again, hold this anywhere from 30 seconds to 1 minute, repeating as desired. Make sure you get both sides.

Now get BACK to work.