MOVE BETTER Correcting Low Back Arch

So yesterday I went through some exercises that are designed to correct muscle imbalances specifically found in the chest and back area that can affect movement at the shoulder. Today it’s all about the lower back and how to

correct low back arch.

You can do a movement assessment called the Overhead Squat Assessment to identify a low back arch but often times you don’t even need that. Simply looking at someone as they stand in their natural stance can reveal a low back arch…like the gentleman to the left in the photo. What we have going on here are overactive muscles at the front of the body (pulling the body forward) and weak muscles on the posterior side.

This muscle imbalance can cause hamstring, quadriceps and groin strain as well as low back pain. Always seek medical advice if you have low back pain but short of a medical condition, low back pain

can be associated with muscular imbalances and there is something you can do about it. As with all imbalances, the causes can be many including stress, previous injury, repetitive movements, poor form during exercise but given that a major cause of low back arch is tight hip flexors and weak butt muscles then it’s not too hard to determine that sitting at your desk all day is the one major factor in contributing to this.

Because the body is one long chain of connected parts what happens in one part of the body can create problems in other areas as well. **Having the muscular imbalances that cause low back arch can also affect your mobility by decreasing your hip extension, decreasing shoulder flexion and decreasing your ability to internally rotate your hips.

To assess the low back arch, you can again try the Overhead Squat Assessment. To start, you are going to stand tall with feet straight and shoulder width apart.

Front View Side View

From this position, begin to do a squat. The picture on the left shows perfect form while the picture on the right shows an arched back.

**This is why it’s important NOT to chase the latest fitness fad just

because it appeals to your inner warrior. Often times people

participate in programs that their bodies are not ready for. Don’t let

your ego get in the way of your future health.

The next page will outline a great routine that addresses these imbalances and helps put things back to normal. The routine is called a corrective exercise sequence and it can be performed daily as a warm-up before your regular exercise routine, part of your cool-down after exercising or all on its own. NOTE--this isn't intended to be an hour workout designed to help you lose weight. These corrective sequences should be performed before or after a workout or all on it's own to correct muscle imbalances.

The routine has videos of each exercise so just click on the video to start playback.

Coaching Tips Perform the Corrective Exercise program prior to beginning your exercise program. Perform the Corrective Exercise program on days you are not performing your training program to

maintain optimal range of motion and strength. Performing the foam roll and static stretching components of your Corrective Exercise program

immediately after your workout will help with overall recovery and muscle soreness. Because your hip flexors and lat muscles are already over-active, you should do less exercises that

involve leg raises and lat pull-downs and pull-ups

OVERACTIVE

Hip flexors—Lat muscles and muscles around the spine

UNDERACTIVE

Gluteus Maximus (the “butt”)—Hamstrings and core muscles

Shoulder Program-Low Back Arch INHIBIT (Self Myofacial Release) Exercise Sets Reps Video Foam Roll: Quadriceps 1 Hold tender spots 30s **Foam rolling a stretching technique. Applying force to a tight spot or “knot” will release tension from the muscle. Find a tender spot and hold for 30 seconds or until you feel a “release”. Doing this before static stretching is best because breaking up the knots (tight areas) will improve your muscles ability to lengthen during the static stretches.

Foam Roll: Lats 1 Hold tender spots 30s

LENGTHEN (Static Stretch) Kneeling Hip Flexor 1-2 30s **Static stretching takes the muscle to the point where you feel tension and then holding that position for 30 seconds. Don’t arch the back during this stretch or you will actually shorten the muscles you want to lengthen. With this, you are stretching a muscle called the psoas and a muscle in your quadriceps called the Rectus Femoris.

Lat Stretch 1-2 30s **Because the lat muscle attaches to connective tissue that then connects to the hips, a tight lat muscle can pull the hip causing an arch in the back.

Erector Spinae Stretch 1-2 30s

Activate (isolated Strengthening) Ball Crunch 1-2 12 reps slowly **Activating, or isolated strengthening, is used to strengthen the under-active muscles. In this case, as well as the next exercise, you are strengthening the core muscles. It may look like just an abdominal exercise but the balance required to perform this properly strengthens the core stabilizer muscles as well. If you need more support, have the ball under your shoulders.

Floor Bridge 1-2 12 reps slowly **This strengthening exercise strengthens the core stability muscles as well as the butt.

Integrate-Putting It All Together Ball-Wall Squat 1-2 12 reps slowly **This is a full-body exercise designed to integrate your body movements and “retrain” your muscles to work together. Proper form is a must here. Note the use of the stability ball behind the back to help you keep good form.

**This will prepare the lat muscle for the static stretch to follow.