I have been to a variety of exercise classes in my life and have heard the term “neutral spine” on MANY occasions. Just the other day – a friend was talking about “tightening her core” and brought it up. This led me to dig a little deeper and question the members that participate in my exercise classes. What I realize is that very few individuals actually know what “neutral spine” means! So let me try to explain …
Three natural curves are present in a healthy spine. The neck, or the cervical spine, curves slightly inward. The mid back, or the thoracic spine, is curved outward. The low back, or the lumbar spine, curves inward again.
The natural curves of the spine are the result of the muscles, ligaments, and tendons that attach to the vertebrae of the spine. Without these supporting structures, the spine would collapse.
Neutral spine is the position where the spine is best able to bear and transfer load. It helps to cushion the spine from too much stress and strain In sitting and standing position, a ‘good posture’ position is a neutral spine position. This is where the weight of your upper body is placed more efficiently on the spine. Learning how to maintain a neutral spine position also helps you move safely during activities like sitting, walking, and lifting.
Simply explained, a neutral spine alignment is when the pelvis is balanced between the two exaggerated anterior and posterior positions. This all sounds very complicated but I will explain how it is applied in my classes.
I like to teach individuals in my classes how to perform a correct posterior pelvic tilt first. This movement is difficult for some. However, once an individual becomes proficient with the ability to perform a posterior pelvic tilt correctly, THEN they will be able to estimate the neutral spine position between an anterior and posterior pelvic tilt.
If you have any questions or are having difficulty understanding this, I urge you to come to a Core I class or come and talk with me!
No comments:
Post a Comment