Post by @movementgems

If your back hurts, check your hips first. Your hips are the foundation of your back. When they can’t move well, your lower back makes up the difference with load it was never designed to handle on its own. Treat your hips and back like one unit, not separate problems. For me, it was a cycle. My back hurt, so I moved my hips less, they got weaker and tighter, so my back hurt more. Strengthening my hip flexors and hamstrings pulled me out of anterior pelvic tilt, which eventually took pressure off my herniated disc. Opening my adductors and rotation was what finally calmed my sciatica. Here’s where to start each standard (always at a pain free level): 1. Groin - Copenhagen plank with your knee on the bench instead of your foot, for 10 to 20 seconds. Pair it with gentle rocking in frog stretch. 2. Hip flexors - Bent knee holds on a dip bar. For couch stretch, don’t force being upright yet - let that come naturally without hyperextending your spine. 3. Hip extension - Bodyweight back extension holds or reps on 2 legs, then light weighted reps, then single leg. Elephant walks with your hands on a high elevation and work your way down over weeks. 4. Rotation - A light weight on the adductor machine, slow and controlled. Pigeon on a higher incline or box. Most people have never trained their hips directly, which is exactly why they tend to respond so quickly once you start. There’s so much untapped potential. Save this. For easy access to progressions and programs -> Movementgems.com