Over 50? STOP Doing The Side Bend. Do These Safer Modifications

Transcript

Hi, I'm Margaret Martin, physical therapist, and I'm so excited you can join me today because I'm going to talk about a common exercise that people shouldn't be doing, especially if you have osteoporosis or osteoarthritis of the spine. What is that exercise is the standing side bend or seated side bend for that matter. And you might see this in a gym class with or without weights where you're doing side bends. Why is this an issue? Because you're getting single loaded compression on the vertebrae. So rather than your vertebrae taking the weight evenly through your spine, you're getting the weight of your head 11 12 lbs, your shoulders, your upper body, and whatever weights you might be holding is now going through just a portion of your vertebrae. If you have arthritic joints on that side that's a problem. But if you have osteoporosis, you're compressing that vertebrae. is putting you at risk for a compression fracture. Now, do you have an alternative? You go, but I love that feeling of opening up. So, yes, I do have an alternative to show you. It's not done in standing, but we're going to go down to the ground and I'm going to show you that alternative. So, I have two alternatives for you from doing the sitting or standing side bending. And the, first, one, we're, going to, do, is, on your knees. Some people tell me Margaret, I really hate being on my knees. Knee pads work great. Um, but if not, then I can show you the alternative in a moment. So, on your hands and knees and hands directly under the shoulders. If you keep your elbows bent a little that will give you a little tricep workout, which is really nice. Now, the what we're looking to do is open up the side body. So, I'm going to bring my right shoulder forward as I bring my left my right pelvis back. So, I'm opening up this whole side body. And I'm going to do the same thing on the other side. Take a breath in and exhale back. Now, if I want a little more opening I'm going to bring my right hand over the left and just get a little bit more side stretch. Now, in this position, my spine is not loaded at all. I don't have the weight of my head or my shoulders on my thoracic and lumbar spine and therefore getting that nice side stretch that you're looking for is so much safer for your spine. All right, let's have a look at the lying down option. So, in order to do this, you could certainly use a pillow underneath your head and neck if you would like, but it's entirely a point of comfort there. You're going to straighten your legs and you're going to raise your arms up overhead. If it feels too compressive on the shoulders, by all means, you can place a pillow underneath your arms. Now you're going to start to walk your feet away from the midline. And then you're going to walk your shoulders also away from the midline. So you're noticing how I'm opening up this whole side body. It's a side flexion, but there's no loading. So I keep walking my feet and I keep shifting my shoulders until I feel that delicious stretch that I'm looking for all through the side body. And again, just demonstrating if this is too compressive, you can by all means use some support and you will just feel a different stretch and less compress feeling in the shoulder. When you're coming out of this stretch if you're feeling a lot of pulling in the lower half of the body, then I want you to come out with the upper body first. If you're feeling more compression or pulling and elongation, I should say. If you're feeling, oh, it's really pulling in through here, then come out with your lower body first. It's just a little bit kinder on you. And we'll just make you want to go back and do this stretch. Right? So, either in kneeling or in supine, lying on your back is a great alternative. you're getting the range of motion that you're looking for, but keeping your spine safe. So, one of my main motivations for doing these videos is so that you can avoid getting a compression fracture or flaring up your arthritis in your back. I get too many emails saying, "But I was just trying to help myself." And they just are doing exercises. They're following people in classes. But if you know that you have osteoporosis or you have severe osteoarthritis, please make these modifications to keep your spine safe. I have a playlist here for you if you want intelligent exercises that you can follow. So I want to thank you for joining me today. Stay safe.