Now, before we start, I want to make myself very clear. I'm not a doctor. I'm not a physical therapist. And I won't pretend to be either. If you have serious pain or issues, go see a knowledgable doctor or physical therapist immediately and stop searching the web for your answers. ClincalAthlete.com is a wonderful resource to find a skilled practitioner in your area.
With that being said, if you're a competitive athlete - or even just someone who enjoys pushing their limits during training - I'd wager that you aren't a stranger to unwelcome discomforts throughout your body.
Stiff joints, some sore muscles, a little bit of crankiness here or there - it happens. And it's commonplace to occur in the lower back.
One of the biggest reasons this occurs is that the lower back is trying to take on responsibility for the joints and muscles surrounding it.
Lack of movement in the upper back? Compensations will trickle on down.
Hips are stiff and not as mobile as you're asking them to be? Lower back will try to make up for that lack of mobility.
Glutes and core aren't doing a great job stabilizing the area? You-know-who will be there trying to get the work done.
Annoying? Absolutely. But can we work on it? Hell yeah.
This protocol is designed to do just that.
Each numerical circuit is to be done 3 times before moving on to the next. Give it a try and let us know what you think. And again, if this nagging issues seems to be something more serious, go see a qualified provider immediately.
1a. Side Lying Thoracic Sweep - 3 x 5ea
1b. Hip CARs - 3 x 3ea way
2a. Cross Tension Deadbugs - 3 x 5ea
2b. Rockback T-Spine rotations - 3 x 6ea
3a. Single Leg Glute Bridge - 3 x 12ea (focus on finding that glute and bracing that core)
3b. Hamstring Lowering - 3 x 8ea (Core tight, take your time lowering and big exhale while keeping the core tight.)
3c. Worlds Greatest Stretch - 3 x 5ea