Lumbar spine position during lifting

Very special (and long!!) #dailyREHAB for you! Here Fran and I are showing you the importance of your lumbar spine position when you bend over into flexion to pick up something light vs the deadlift position when you lift heavy or when training for lifting.

The anatomy of the spinal muscles is the key focus here. When you bend over it’s perfectly normal to round the lumbar spine as it’s what it’s supposed to do. And if you have a healthy pain free spine then bending forward with your lower back rounding is all good. But when you need to lift something heavy 💪 or are in the gym training in a lift position like a Romanian deadlift (RDL) your lower back needs to be in a neutral position (with you core on!) for optimal function and to look after the deep lower back soft tissue structures. The iliocostalis lumbordum muscles in the lower back are angled in such a way that when you keep your lumbar spine in neutral they act to resist shear force in the lower back and enable extensor torque through the posterior chain for more power in the lift and better mechanical efficiency. 👍

We also take into account someone who has an acute lumbar spine disc injury (more common than you think!) and they has a sore, painful lower back that goes into spasm into flexion.