Foundations “the deep core”: Lower Back Awareness
Quick Intro: your lower back is part of your core!
Many people don’t think of the lower back as even having muscles or being part of the “core”. But it does have muscles and these muscles (collectively called the “multifidi”) are fundamental in supporting our spine in it’s correct alignment for whatever activity we’re engaged in. They help support our spinal alignment in all positions, assist in rotation, bending backwards and side bending.
Non specific backache is often caused by these muscles becoming so overwork that they go into spasm, or so underworked that they literally turn off.
This simple awareness raising exercise helps us to become more aware of these muscles and the work that they do. You’ll learn a simple bio-feedback technique that can help get them to relax, or wake up and each side to begin working in a balanced way. This can greatly help people suffering with backache!
What’s it good for?
🌟 Learning about the “core” and how our spinal muscles work.
🌟 Helping to relieve non-specific back pain.
🌟 Learning “control” over our bodies – in this case to hinge only from the ankles and not at the hips.
A quick “how to”…
🌟 In standing, bring your feet together and squeeze your inner thighs together.
🌟 Place your fingertips on the two bony prominences at the back of your pelvis near the top center.
🌟 Place the palms of your hands along the two ridges of muscle that go up and down each side of your spine.
🌟 Pull in your abdominals (to help maintain alignment).
🌟 Hinge forward from your ankles and feel those little muscles turn on and off as they stabilise your spine!
🌟 Don’t fall forward on your face! Press your toes into the mat to support yourself!
Hints & Tips:
🌟 It’s subtle, so if you don’t feel the movement first time, don’t despair and don’t belabour it, but do keep on trying on subsequent days and it will happen!
🌟 Pull in your abdominals to help stop any bending of the hips.
🌟 Focus on hinging at the ankles only…
Any Questions?
Ask away – I love to help! Click here for the Contact Page 🙂 – or leave a comment at the bottom of the post – see you there…
