Neutral Spine

MrMondo · 04-27-2005, 09:44 AM

The Neutral Spine

Have you noticed how frequently personal trainers and group exercise instructors are instructing their clients about neutral spine? Neutral spine or neutral posture is popping up everywhere in the gym these days because it is a key component of both functional exercise and effective core training. The muscles of the core are closely connected with the postural muscles and alignment. Since neutral posture is such an important element of core training, let?s take a closer look at what it is and why it is so important.

Neutral spine or neutral posture is the proper alignment of the body between postural extremes. In its natural alignment, the spine is not straight. It has curves in the thoracic (upper) and lumbar (lower) regions. There is a slight forward curve in the lumbar region (lordosis), a slight backward curve in the thorasic region (kyphosis) and a slight extension in the tiny cervical vertebra at the top of the spine. In addition, the ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles are aligned as if a plumb line was running from the ears down through the torso into the legs and the feet.

In neutral posture, the body is able to function in its strongest, most balanced position. Stress to the joints, muscles, vertebrae and tissue is minimized. Maintaining neutral posture will help decrease the risk of injury and increase the efficiency of movement or exercise. Working in neutral posture is also a component in a more holistic approach to movement and exercise where the body is viewed as an integrated unit, rather than isolated parts. When people have difficulty achieving or working in neutral posture, it is often an indication of muscular imbalance. Muscular or postural imbalances are a concern because they can lead to injury and chronic anatomical problems or limit performance. Working out of neutral alignment, may inhibit the recruitment of certain muscles and make the movements more difficult. Most of us feel that our exercise programs are challenging enough and we don?t want to make them any harder! Let?s take a look at how you can find neutral spine and use it to make your fitness program effective and balanced.

Finding Neutral Spine. The most challenging part of achieving neutral spine is feeling a neutral position of the pelvis. Before attempting to align the entire body in a standing position, begin by identifying neutral pelvic alignment lying down on the floor on your back. Bend your knees so that your feet are hip distance apart about 6-10 inches away from the back of the legs. Your feet should be flat on the floor. In this position, the lower region of the back will not be pressed down onto the floor. You will be preserving the natural curve of the lower spine. Place the heels of your hands on the two bones on the front / top of the pelvis. Place your index fingers on the top of your pubic bone. You will be making a triangle with the bones you can feel on the front of the pelvis. For most people, this triangle will be in a horizontal plane when the lower spine is in neutral. Visualize a glass of water balanced inside the triangle. Using the muscles of the abdomen, (not the legs) press the lower back down towards the floor. This is a posterior tilt of the pelvis and the ?glass on water? would spill onto your chest. Release the pelvis back to neutral, then over-arch the low back in the opposite direction. This is an anterior tilt of the pelvis and the ?glass of water? would spill out between your legs. Work through this range of motion several times trying to initiate the movement in the abdominal muscles leaving the legs and feet relaxed. After several repetitions, allow your pelvis to come back to neutral, a midway position somewhere between the over exaggerated posterior and anterior tilts. The amount of space between your lower back and the floor will vary according to the natural curve of your spine. Take this new awareness of neutral lumbar spine with you into a standing position where you can now align the rest of the body.

1. Place the feet hip width apart. This is a little closer together than shoulder distance apart, which is a common fitness position.

2. Beginning with flexed or bent knees, straighten up into a full standing position. The knees should remain softened, not locked. Think about pulling up through the mid-line of the body.

3. Focus on finding the neutral position of the pelvis that we identified lying on the floor. You may need to work through the posterior/anterior positions a couple of times before settling in neutral. In order to maintain this position, you must activate the deep muscles of the abdomen and continue pulling up through your center.

4. Relax your shoulders down and roll them back. Retract and depress your shoulder blades. Think about bringing your shoulder blades in towards your spine and sliding them down towards the floor.

5. Bring your head into alignment by centering your ears over your shoulders. You might need to extend your chin forward and back to find the centered position. Your nose should be opposite the very tip of your spine where it connects with the head.

6. Review the natural position of the spine. Feel the feet centering the weight of the body and solidly supporting you on the floor. You should feel ready to move in any direction.

This position requires work to maintain! Even though it is the natural alignment of the body, most people have developed habits and imbalances that make it feel unnatural. However, it is essential to strengthen the muscles of the core in proper alignment, and establishing neutral posture is the first step. Try to increase your awareness of neutral posture in your daily and fitness activities. Remember all those times your mother told you to stand up straight? She was right! All these years you probably never knew you were getting excellent fitness advice.

As an atlete that has had 3 back surgeries this concept is very important to me.

Using Neutral Spine while lifting can help to avoid potentially serious injury.

REMEMBER to squeeze the but cheeks together as well, as this will "lock" everything into position.

Mondo

BlueThunder · 04-27-2005, 03:37 PM

Good read..in agreement.

needmorestrength · 04-27-2005, 07:07 PM

good post

chicamahomico · 04-27-2005, 07:36 PM

More weight trainers shoud definitely read about postural health. Lotta Quasimodo hunchback types walking (or should I say lurching) around at my gym.

MrMondo · 06-23-2005, 07:39 PM

:bbbump:

MrMondo · 06-23-2005, 07:40 PM

My back hurts today!@

taiboxa · 06-23-2005, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrMondo

My back hurts today!@

yeah that happened to me too when i flexed my buttcheeks to hard w/o proper warm up

Anubis · 06-23-2005, 08:06 PM

Good to know

CJP · 06-23-2005, 08:09 PM

Great post Mondo. I had a PT a long time ago that really focused on posture and it made my workouts 100X's as effective.

BlueThunder · 06-24-2005, 01:20 AM

Both Kyphosis and Lordosis are quite common. Mucle imbalance contribute to this. Kyphosis or hunchback/rounded shoulders can be helped by stretching the lats,front delts, pecs, & upper traps.

Strengthening the traps and rhomboids help. Lordosis excessive curve in the lumbar region can be helped by stretching the hip flexors, erector spinae while strengthening the abs & obliques.

Evan lower back pain can be caused by tight hammies. So yes postural natural nuetral alignment is crucial.

04-27-2005, 09:44 AM	#1 (permalink)
MrMondo Sportin' a G-string Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pluto Posts: 1,890	Neutral Spine The Neutral Spine Have you noticed how frequently personal trainers and group exercise instructors are instructing their clients about neutral spine? Neutral spine or neutral posture is popping up everywhere in the gym these days because it is a key component of both functional exercise and effective core training. The muscles of the core are closely connected with the postural muscles and alignment. Since neutral posture is such an important element of core training, let?s take a closer look at what it is and why it is so important. Neutral spine or neutral posture is the proper alignment of the body between postural extremes. In its natural alignment, the spine is not straight. It has curves in the thoracic (upper) and lumbar (lower) regions. There is a slight forward curve in the lumbar region (lordosis), a slight backward curve in the thorasic region (kyphosis) and a slight extension in the tiny cervical vertebra at the top of the spine. In addition, the ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles are aligned as if a plumb line was running from the ears down through the torso into the legs and the feet. In neutral posture, the body is able to function in its strongest, most balanced position. Stress to the joints, muscles, vertebrae and tissue is minimized. Maintaining neutral posture will help decrease the risk of injury and increase the efficiency of movement or exercise. Working in neutral posture is also a component in a more holistic approach to movement and exercise where the body is viewed as an integrated unit, rather than isolated parts. When people have difficulty achieving or working in neutral posture, it is often an indication of muscular imbalance. Muscular or postural imbalances are a concern because they can lead to injury and chronic anatomical problems or limit performance. Working out of neutral alignment, may inhibit the recruitment of certain muscles and make the movements more difficult. Most of us feel that our exercise programs are challenging enough and we don?t want to make them any harder! Let?s take a look at how you can find neutral spine and use it to make your fitness program effective and balanced. Finding Neutral Spine. The most challenging part of achieving neutral spine is feeling a neutral position of the pelvis. Before attempting to align the entire body in a standing position, begin by identifying neutral pelvic alignment lying down on the floor on your back. Bend your knees so that your feet are hip distance apart about 6-10 inches away from the back of the legs. Your feet should be flat on the floor. In this position, the lower region of the back will not be pressed down onto the floor. You will be preserving the natural curve of the lower spine. Place the heels of your hands on the two bones on the front / top of the pelvis. Place your index fingers on the top of your pubic bone. You will be making a triangle with the bones you can feel on the front of the pelvis. For most people, this triangle will be in a horizontal plane when the lower spine is in neutral. Visualize a glass of water balanced inside the triangle. Using the muscles of the abdomen, (not the legs) press the lower back down towards the floor. This is a posterior tilt of the pelvis and the ?glass on water? would spill onto your chest. Release the pelvis back to neutral, then over-arch the low back in the opposite direction. This is an anterior tilt of the pelvis and the ?glass of water? would spill out between your legs. Work through this range of motion several times trying to initiate the movement in the abdominal muscles leaving the legs and feet relaxed. After several repetitions, allow your pelvis to come back to neutral, a midway position somewhere between the over exaggerated posterior and anterior tilts. The amount of space between your lower back and the floor will vary according to the natural curve of your spine. Take this new awareness of neutral lumbar spine with you into a standing position where you can now align the rest of the body. 1. Place the feet hip width apart. This is a little closer together than shoulder distance apart, which is a common fitness position. 2. Beginning with flexed or bent knees, straighten up into a full standing position. The knees should remain softened, not locked. Think about pulling up through the mid-line of the body. 3. Focus on finding the neutral position of the pelvis that we identified lying on the floor. You may need to work through the posterior/anterior positions a couple of times before settling in neutral. In order to maintain this position, you must activate the deep muscles of the abdomen and continue pulling up through your center. 4. Relax your shoulders down and roll them back. Retract and depress your shoulder blades. Think about bringing your shoulder blades in towards your spine and sliding them down towards the floor. 5. Bring your head into alignment by centering your ears over your shoulders. You might need to extend your chin forward and back to find the centered position. Your nose should be opposite the very tip of your spine where it connects with the head. 6. Review the natural position of the spine. Feel the feet centering the weight of the body and solidly supporting you on the floor. You should feel ready to move in any direction. This position requires work to maintain! Even though it is the natural alignment of the body, most people have developed habits and imbalances that make it feel unnatural. However, it is essential to strengthen the muscles of the core in proper alignment, and establishing neutral posture is the first step. Try to increase your awareness of neutral posture in your daily and fitness activities. Remember all those times your mother told you to stand up straight? She was right! All these years you probably never knew you were getting excellent fitness advice. As an atlete that has had 3 back surgeries this concept is very important to me. Using Neutral Spine while lifting can help to avoid potentially serious injury. REMEMBER to squeeze the but cheeks together as well, as this will "lock" everything into position. Mondo

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04-27-2005, 03:37 PM	#2 (permalink)
BlueThunder Vet Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: usa Posts: 1,414	Good read..in agreement.

04-27-2005, 07:07 PM	#3 (permalink)
needmorestrength Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 47	good post

04-27-2005, 07:36 PM	#4 (permalink)
chicamahomico Proud Canadian Citizen Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 149	More weight trainers shoud definitely read about postural health. Lotta Quasimodo hunchback types walking (or should I say lurching) around at my gym.

06-23-2005, 07:39 PM	#5 (permalink)
MrMondo Sportin' a G-string Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pluto Posts: 1,890	:bbbump:

06-23-2005, 07:40 PM	#6 (permalink)
MrMondo Sportin' a G-string Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pluto Posts: 1,890	My back hurts today!@

06-23-2005, 08:06 PM	#8 (permalink)
Anubis Anabolic God Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 301	Good to know

06-23-2005, 08:09 PM	#9 (permalink)
CJP Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: San Diego - CA Posts: 221	Great post Mondo. I had a PT a long time ago that really focused on posture and it made my workouts 100X's as effective.

06-24-2005, 01:20 AM	#10 (permalink)
BlueThunder Vet Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: usa Posts: 1,414	Both Kyphosis and Lordosis are quite common. Mucle imbalance contribute to this. Kyphosis or hunchback/rounded shoulders can be helped by stretching the lats,front delts, pecs, & upper traps. Strengthening the traps and rhomboids help. Lordosis excessive curve in the lumbar region can be helped by stretching the hip flexors, erector spinae while strengthening the abs & obliques. Evan lower back pain can be caused by tight hammies. So yes postural natural nuetral alignment is crucial.

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