Ask yourself the next time you lift something, "Am I doing this with bad form?" We are all task driven and the body will comply until one day it won't. It all starts with the core and transfers out to the periphery. You should be thinking about your Neutral Spine. The Neutral Spine is your base position that is organized and stable. It is essential for all functional movements and if you can make it a part of your normal patterning then you can easily pick up force production with your lifts, increase ranges of motion, and prevent injuries. Dead-lifting or squatting? Set your neutral spine. Lifting overhead? Set your neutral spine. Bending over to fill the dog bowls with food? Set your neutral spine. Sitting at work too long? Set your neutral spine. Picking up your baby from her crib at 2 am? Set your neutral spine.
Here's a quick breakdown of what it looks like. Later I'll post a video with step by step instructions I give to my clients on bracing with neutral spine. Bear with me. It will all come together like Keyser Soze.
1. Feet are straight and weight is balanced over them.
2. Feet are screwed into the ground and hips are stabilized.
3. Glutes are engaged and pelvis is in neutral position.
4. Abdominal wall is engaged.
5. The shoulders are externally rotated and the spine is in a neutral and protected position.
6. The head is pulled back into a neutral position.
Try it out. Call if you have questions or are just curious how we can help your movement based problems. We love this stuff. Stay Strong, Inspire Others!