Welcome back to Wellness Wednesday at Spine and Rehab Specialists! Today Dr. Earl Hayden, PT, DPT, CSCS will be reviewing an important movement called a hip hinge. This movement is the foundation for multiple everyday and athletic movements such as picking objects off the ground, standing up from chairs, deadlifting, kettlebell swings, Olympic lifting, running and jumping. If you’re having an episode of back pain and you’re still uncomfortable with bending forward, this movement is useful reaching low objects and strengthening the back, hips, and legs to gradually improve tolerance to bending. You’ll notice for all variations of this movement, whether it’s with both legs on one leg, with or without weight, we begin the motion with pushing the hips back. A good teaching method is standing in front of a wall and REACHING BACK with the hips. Keep the knees relaxed and feet flat (grip the floor with your feet). You should back of your hips and legs (glutes and hamstrings) stretching on the way down, and tightening on the way back up. You don’t have to reach the floor, just go through the movement in a pain free range with control. The single leg versions are amazing for addressing strength imbalances between each leg, improving core strength, improving balance, and may be more comfortable if you experience discomfort in your back with the double-leg version. If you need more help doing this exercise or having pain with this type of movement, maybe it’s time to see a physical therapist. We are trained in analyzing movements and can create a plan unique to YOU to get rid of pain, improve your strength, and regain confidence with moving! As always, join us again next Wednesday for more exercises to keep you in motion!
