In a world where sitting has become the new smoking, it’s important that we make time to strengthen our bodies, be mindful of our postures, and increase our movement.
Think about how sedentary life can be... We get out of bed and sit down to have breakfast. Sit in our car or transit to get to work. Sit at our desk at work for 8 hours, and then get back in the car or transit to come home. We sit at the dinner table to eat, and then sit on the couch before lying back down in bed again.
Yep, sitting is a huge part of our lives and it unfortunately can contribute to just as much pain as it can comfort if we don’t strengthen key areas of the body- like our spine for example. With this in mind, I’ve put together 3 of my favorite exercises to help you off-set the flexion-dominance that can come from hours of sitting.
Before I start, I should note that every body is unique and not every exercise will be for you. It’s always advised to seek the help of a trained professional to ensure the exercises are right for you and are performed correctly.
3 Exercises For Your Spine
1. Prone Cobra
This exercise requires no equipment and very little space so it’s practical to do from home, the office, or wherever else you fancy. It can strengthen your entire posterior chain, which tends to be lengthened and can weaken with prolonged sitting.
2. Birddog
Again, no equipment necessary. This exercise is more dynamic than the prone cobra as it requires more movement and is equally great for strengthening your back side. The contralateral movement pattern of the birddog can recruit more stablizers and therefore excite the nervous system even more, a key component of getting stronger.
3. Deadlift
This exercise is the most advanced of the three and is best practiced with dumbbells or a barbell, however, the movement pattern itself, a hinge and multi-joint extension, is arguably the single best posterior chain exercise of them all. The deadlift is a compound movement that engages the entire body and thus allows you to gradually add resistance- another key component in gaining strength. Furthermore, it’s functional as it’ll get your back stronger for when it’s time to pick something off the floor, whether that’s inside or outside of the gym!
During these peculiar times, if you’ve been sitting more, feeling discomfort in your back, noticing your posture held more forward, or simply feel weakness in the back, these 3 exercises might help- good luck!
Holistically Strong,
Coach Ty,
Ty Woolner
Ty is the founder, CEO, and head coach of Holistic Strength. He lives in Toronto, Ontario with his Fiance Hilary, and their toy poodle Elu. Ty is devoted to improving the lives of others by using strength as a catalyst for overall well-being, and to help his clients, students, and community members reach their highest potential.