15 Minute Follow-Along Spinal Segmentation & Flexibility Routine (IMPORTANT TO DO)

SPINAL SEGMENTATION

Core work is pointless if you overlook the function of your spine.

A healthy spine:

• has facet joints that move with control relative to one another
• each joint moves without restriction
• has forces evenly distributed across it

If your spine lacks proper segmentation, then your spine won’t be able to distribute forces evenly.

• The parts of the spine that can’t move well become weak.
• The parts of the spine that can move well end up compensating and absorb more force.
• This is a recipe for problems.

This program has spinal segmentation exercises! The 4 elements of back flexibility will be covered:

• Spinal flexion (cat, pilates roll-up)
• Spinal extension (cow, thoracic peanut opener)
• Spinal rotation (seated T-spine rotational opener)
• Spinal lateral flexion (standing side tilt, seated straddle side tilt)

Spinal Segmentation and Flexibility Routine

If you have back pain and your rehab approach is to minimize spinal movement, then your result will be a spine that doesn’t hurt only when it doesn’t move (and this is not very compatible with life!). Instead of that approach, start experimenting with my spinal segmentation and flexibility routine! It’s not time-consuming to toss these exercises into your warm-up. If you feel “jacked up”, then do this routine for relief!

When Holding Stretches: I suggest doing 4-6 breath cycles. If you feel any pain, gently back off and stay in your pain-free range.

• Scaled Pilates Roll-Down/Up: feet against the wall to posteriorly tuck the pelvis. Put a pilates ball or yoga block between your knees. Touch your low core with your hand so you can feel the TVA engaging. Focus on feeling the low core and shutting off the 6 pack (upper rectus). When you find the low core, hold it isometrically. For isometric holds, maintain calm and even nasal breaths.
• Seated T-Spine Rotational Opener: sit with a yoga block between your legs. Arms crossed. Rotate to each side. Don’t let the knees move, don’t shrug up.
• Standing Side Tilt: standing (wider than hip width), place right hand on right hip, push hip to left. Reach overhead to the right with left hand and side bend to right. Feel stretch in the upper QL on left side. Hold for 4 breath cycles and feel the QL stretch when you inhale. Repeat other side.
• Seated Straddle Side Tilt Stretch: QL & psoas stretch. Push both sits bones down into floor. Lift spine from base & side bend. Reach overhead towards foot. Hold for 4 breath cycles and feel the QL & psoas stretch when you inhale. Repeat other side.
• Cat Cow: This involves moving the spine from a rounded position (flexion) to an arched one (extension). Flexing and extending the spine can help improve circulation in the discs in your back. It's a basic motion, but one that can be enormously beneficial in supporting the back and easing pain and maintaining a healthy spine, especially if you spend a lot of time sitting. Legs are hip width apart, hips stacked over knees, shoulders stacked over hands. Keep the arms straight so the movement is with your spine and not your arms & elbows. Start with just moving the pelvis and low back (keep upper body frozen): inhale and anteriorly tilt your pelvis for the cow, then exhale and posteriorly tilt your pelvis. Then freeze the lower body and just move upper spine. Broaden shoulder blades, hollow by pulling the sternum up to sky. Then extend. Then freeze your body and just move the neck: flex and extend. Then combine everything together in a segmented way: like a body wave. Flex: neck, thoracic, lumbar, pelvis. Extend: pelvis, lumbar, thoracic, neck. Then rotate one way (arms can bend), then rotate the other way.

I filmed the Thoracic Opener with the Peanut Routine separately. I recommend you do the Seated T-Spine Rotational Opener exercise first (in the previous video), as this will help maximize thoracic extension.

You can put 2 massage balls (same size) in a sock, or you can buy a peanut. I got mine on amazon for under $20 here: Peanut Massage Ball

Do this with me once, and then you can do it on your own in 3 minutes or less.