Training & Nutrition - Lower-back flexibility (I REALLY need to work on it!)

I have discovered that my lower back flexability leaves ALOT to be desired. I am willing and want to put in the commitment to work on this. Can anybody recommend a sort of daily routine (or whatever schedule) to adress this?

Cheers

Stretch in the morning, stretch at night. Sounds simple - but that's really all you can do to improve your flexibility in any area. It's also a good idea to stretch before and after you ride.

Good luck!
Mike

What stretch(s) would you recommend?

take a yoga class

Do some swimming. This will loosen you up like nothing else.
Yoga and Tai Chi are good, but pick a good instructor. With the yoga-craze there are lots of newbie instructors. People have hurt themselves doing yoga, too much too soon.

I've had my back fused from L1 - S2 due to a bad fracture during a martial arts tournament when I was 15. (I was actually in the hospital for a year with multiple surgeries) It's physically impossible for me to be flexible but I find that swimming helped it alot. In addition, I take a hot bath after a long ride (road ride) where I have been bent over for over 2 and half hours.

Stretch in the shower. I don't know if it's valid but it seems like the heat helps loosen the muscles up.

Two simple stretches that help the back:

1. Hug your knees. Lie on your back on the floor, bring knees up to chest and 'hug'.

2. Superman pose. Lie on stomach, extending arms above you and reach. Gradually, gently, lift up legs and arms simultaneously-hold- and release. Do 5-10 or whatever's comfortable for you. Over time, you'll be able to hold the stretch longer, for more reps.
A great stretch for the lower back and for cyclists to counteract the bent riding position (unless of course you're riding a 'bent ;) ).

I'm gonna take this inflexible freak through some exercises today before I leave Montreal.... so I'll show him all the lower back flexibility exercises I know. He'll be good once I've showed him 6 or 7 poses he can work with.

He is really inflexible. I saw how bad it was when we were at the Y the other day. Yikes!

Be careful with Yoga.
In the words of the estemible DBRK from the Serotta
forum (writes books on sanskrit, etc. lecture on Yoga
world wide) on different styles of Yoga.


Anusara is a gentle but demanding yoga
style, much less inclined to injury
yourself. That's really the issue with the Power, Bikram, Ashtanga, Iyengar types: it's all too much compulsion
of the body and this causes the distress that causes injury.


whatever you decide to do, do it SLOWLY.

Marty

Originally posted by Koffee Brown
He is really inflexible. I saw how bad it was when we were at the Y the other day. Yikes!

Thanks for your support Koffee, I really appreciiate it. You do wonders for my self-esteem.

You're welcome! Thanks for having me... err... over, that is! ;)

I used to pay a guy to knock me down on a regular basis. He also got paid to help me stay limber. One of the things that causes back pains is when the back has to stretch and compensate for tight hamstrings and tendons in the legs. I stretch almost every day while I watch tv, or when I take a bath.

If you sit with your legs in front of you, feet touching, and bend towards your feet, with your toes pointed up, you will stretch you leg tendons. Also, do this with your feet spread apart, touching each foot, alternatively, and putting your head as far to the floor as you can get it to go. It really won't take long, and in most cases "back pains" will show a sharp decline. best -

I showed Spire a number of stretching exercises for him to do- among them, some hamstring stretches because he does have very stiff hamstrings, and a stretch for the periformis muscle in the gluts as well.

I took the time to explain to him that sometimes, lower back pain can be caused by tight hamstrings or a shortening of the periformis muscle, and to prevent this from happening, he should do those exercises DAILY. I also gave him one of the rubber tubing bands so he can work on gradually increasing his stretches.

I'll wait for an update in this thread in about six months to see if he's improved. Spire, check back in December with us and let us know how these exercises are working out for you.

Koffee

Koffee, sounds like you fixed him up. I see that along with all of the good advice given here, somebody forgot to tell him to keep burnt feathers on a shovel in his bedroom to help with the pain from his new regimen. ;)

BTW, I didn't realize that you were an aerobics instructor until just now. I love watching aerobics on tv! Best -