What is Safe Movement

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What is Safe Movement?

That is a big question that could mean many things. What I’m really asking is, “What is safe movement when practicing Yoga, Pilates and other Activities of Daily Living?”

Humans have been doing Yoga for thousands of years, yet recently, our ways of practicing the most classic Yoga postures have begun to change. Any posture involving forward bending, for instance, will be changed slightly; instead of folding over from the lumbar spine in a rounded position, which is seen frequently in Yoga classes, we will “hinge” from the hip joints creating a long, straight spine. The postures themselves have not changed; the quality of how we do them is shifting.

Whether you choose the classic forward bend, “Staff Pose”, with both legs extended forward or a straddling forward bend with legs opened wide, we are now being encouraged to bend forward in a “hip hinging” style, bending from the hip joints, rather than rounding forward from the lumbar spine. No matter which forward bend you choose, this hinging movement keeps the spine long and straight. There is a reason for doing this.

(see below for "Staff Pose" example)

When the spine is rounded in spinal flexion, it compresses the anterior spinal segments (as seen in the photograph below) creating the possibility of fractures. This is new and important information for those of us who do Yoga and also, those of us who teach Yoga and can pass on this information to the people in our classes.

(see below for imagery of compressed spine)

The frequent and consistent movements that all humans do throughout the day and night are called, Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and it is important that even these everyday movements change to help us avoid the possibility of harm.

(see below for examples of Activities of Daily Living)

Why are things changing in the way we practice certain Yoga poses, whose movements also follow us into the ordinary movements of everyday life. With the increased interest in bone health and the increase of fractures, research shows the need to change how we are doing certain movements. Whether in a Yoga class, or working in the garden, focusing on using good posture to encourage length and balance will decrease likelihood for the most common fractures.

(see below for Activities of Daily Living)

With this knowledge, how do we change the movements that can create fractures in the more vulnerable areas? When we bend forward in our Yoga postures and do similar forward bending movements in activities of daily life, we often create “rounding” of the spine; this type of posture weakens certain spinal segments in the front of the thoracic spine, where your rib cage is located, creating spinal compression and fractures over time.

Sometimes, after hours of sitting, people are not aware that they have created fractures until they are seen on an X-ray or scan. Often, once these fractures start, it is common for more fractures to occur. By practicing the opposite motions throughout the day in the form of spinal extensions (back bends), we can avoid injuries. Learning to bend forward from the hips in movements called “hip hinges”, we can keep the spine long and straight without creating spinal compression.

There is also a question about whether spinal rotations are safe. Do they create pressure in the segments that are rotating? We will know more as time goes forward.

What to do:

1. Hip Hinging (instead of "rounding" the spine)

2. Include "Squats" in Yoga and Everyday Life

3. Incorporate Frequent "Back Bends" into each day

4. Incorporate "Chin Retractions" daily, especially when using screens

(Details with Images below)

1. Learn “Hip Hinging” when forward bending. Incorporate this into exercise and daily life to avoid rounding the spine.

2. To strengthen hips and legs, learn to "Squat" in everyday life.

3. Learn back extension (Back Bending) and do frequently throughout the day:

4. Learn and do chin retractions throughout the day, especially when gazing at screens for several hours:

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