Our bodies were designed to move, and it’s this movement and activity that helps to strengthen structures and ensure they develop as expected. It’s also why we usually preach that movement in the form of exercise or physical therapy can be so beneficial for treating a number of different spinal conditions. But what types of movement can be beneficial for your spine? Below, we take a closer look at five movement patterns and explain how they can help strengthen or improve key structures in your spine.
Improve Your Spine Health With Movement
You can work towards improved spine health by doing yoga or partaking in a daily stretching routine that carefully moves your spine in these five ways.
- Flexion – Flexion occurs when you bend forward, and it’s a very helpful movement to counter the stress that is put on your spine when you are in a seated position. Stand up straight then carefully bend forward to try to touch your toes, and your spine will be in a flexion position. This movement helps to strengthen your abdominal muscles and your mid-spine.
- Extension – Extension is the opposite of flexion, and this position occurs when you push out your chest, like when you’re performing a bridge exercise with your hands and feet on the ground and your stomach being pushed towards the ceiling. The spinal extension position works to strengthen muscles in your lumbar spine and helps to stretch your chest muscles so that they can better support your spine.
- Rotational – Trunk twists and other rotational exercises are also helpful for strengthening and developing your spine. Keep your feet firmly planted on the ground and twist your upper body from side to side. Rotational exercises help to strengthen your core muscles, which as we mentioned on this blog in the past, are key to provide support and stability to your spine. This type of movement is also helpful for expanding your comfortable range of motion, which can help to prevent injury during athletics or exercise.
- Axial – Axial movement is the action of lengthening and contracting your spine in relation to your body. For example, if you hang from a pull up bar and let your body go loose, you may notice that your spine relaxes a bit. This is an axial position, and it’s helpful at decompressing your spine and allowing for more space between spinal segments. Axial movement is helpful for people suffering from disc compression issues.
- Lateral – Finally, lateral movement helps to improve your spinal flexibility, which can make movement more fluid and less likely to cause injury. If you take your right arm, reach it over your head and try to touch your left shoulder, you can feel the stretching along the right side of your body. This movement also stretches a number of soft tissues that support your spine and aid in its mobility.
It’s important to make these five movements a normal part of your daily routine. Whether you do some stretching first thing in the morning or incorporate these moves before a workout or during a yoga session, your spine will be stronger and more flexible because of these movements.
If you have questions about any of these movements, or you’re looking to get to the bottom of a spinal issue that you’re dealing with, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
