Our spine is the base of how our entire body moves. If we have limited spine mobility, chances are good other parts of our bodies are suffering. We may not only have discomfort in our backs, but also limited range of motion in our arms and legs. This limited range of motion can lead to pain in our shoulders and hips. With the health of our entire bodies on the line it’s a no brainer that we need to keep our spines moving well. This week we are not only explaining why spine mobility is important, we are giving you the tools to change the way your back feels in just 10 minutes.
How the Spine Works
Our spine is broken up into 3 main parts. The cervical spine, the thoracic spine, and the lumbar spine. Each one of these sections has its own curve. Within each curve, we have many individual vertebrae that are able to move in all different directions. That is what allows us to bend forward, twist, lean back, etc. So what happens when we start losing this ability to move? We feel stiff, pain, discomfort, and stuck. Our muscles can get so tight that the curves of our spine either flatten out or start curving the wrong way. For many of us, in our daily lives we are constantly pulling our bodies out of alignment. This happens in many ways such as sitting for long periods of time, looking down at your cell phone, and bad standing posture. Not to mention whatever sports activities we are interested in!
Why Spine Mobility is Important
Mobilizing or giving movement back to our spine has many direct and fast acting benefits. Here are a few things improving spine mobility can impact:
Reduces:
- Shoulder Pain - We did a blog all about this!
- Neck Pain
- Headaches
- Low Back Pain
- Upper Back Pain
Improves:
- Hip Mobility
- Posture
- Athletic Performance
- Breathing
- Shoulder Mobility
- And Many More!
You may be thinking wow. All of that? The answer is a resounding YES! All of these aspects are connected to the spine and the core. Better spine mobility relates to better posture. Better posture directly relates to proper body mechanics. When your body is moving well, you’re more likely to have less pain and increased strength and athletic performance. It doesn’t really matter what you’re doing. You could be trying to pick up a box or maybe you’re in a triathlon. Your spine mobility matters for both!
How can I improve my Spine Mobility
We are happy you ask! We have a 10 Minute 10 Day Spine Mobility Challenge. The cool part of this mobility challenge is that we are working on the full range of spinal flexibility. It’s made of 3 exercises, each one targeting a different aspect of how the spine moves. They are extension, flexion, and rotation combined with stabilizing/strength work. To track your progress we have a pre-test, then working as a circuit, you do all 3 exercises then repeat them 2 more times. After all 3 rounds of exercises are complete, you do a post-test to check your progress. We understand that you are busy, so we wanted to make this as effective as possible which is why it should only take you 10 minutes!
Let’s break down the exercises:
Just like the name describes, this exercise targets the thoracic spine or the middle and upper back. This part of the spine is a common culprit for dysfunction. It causes many peoples shoulder discomfort, and limited range of motion for turning side to side. If you’ve ever gone to look over your shoulder and found you can’t rotate without turning your entire body, this exercise is going to be great for you!
Jefferson Curls targets flexion (rounding) of the entire spine. You start from the head down and the goal is to make every vertebrae move independently from one another. It’s harder to do than you think! Loosening up each vertebrae 1 by 1 helps take away that really “stuck” feeling we sometimes get. Our bodies have a tendency to start moving as one big part instead of many little ones. An example is rounding from the low back. We often don’t realize that we start moving this part of the body as one big movement instead of initiating movement from each vertebrae. To me, this particular spine mobility exercise makes a huge difference to my whole back. Give it a try and see how it feels to you!
Twisting Bears – It’s time to put all that hard work into action with this stability and strength exercise. Twisting bears takes your new found flexibility and gives you the opportunity to strengthen the muscles around your spine while moving other parts of your body. This is the most important part because what good is the new flexibility if you can’t use it when you need to?
For a detailed explanation of the exercises, check out our full 10 Minute 10 Day Spine Mobility Challenge Video:
By doing this challenge you will see short and long term results. You’ll feel relief in the moment and lasting results if you stick with it. Consistency is key!! Doing this every day is what’s really going to change your body. If you’re loving the difference it makes, you can continue doing this every day until you see the results you want! Here are some reasons why our doctors are looking forward to taking part in the challenge.
Whether you have an active or sedentary lifestyle this challenge can do great things for everyone who tries it! We want to see your progress so be sure to tag us on any social media platform @mobility_doc.
Join our MD Fit Fam! We are constantly adding new programs to our online community. Our programs have something for everyone. Check them out today! We want to support your fitness, not replace it. Keep doing what you love for as long as you can. Move better so you can BE BETTER!
