Why is it worth 'training' your spine? The health of the spine
First and foremost, a few words about the spine, just to make it easier to understand why it's worth paying close attention to it and supporting its health from all directions.
Our spinal column is the foundation of our skeletal system, the central pillar of our body, its supporting column. It runs between the skull and the pelvis, supporting the torso, to which the head and limbs are attached, thus forming our entire body. In addition, it protects the spinal cord, nerves, and blood vessels running within it (So it has plenty of tasks:)).
Anatomically, it consists of a sequential series of hard (vertebral bodies) and soft, flexible parts (intervertebral discs, tendons, ligaments, and muscles) that provide its elasticity. The intervertebral discs connecting the vertebrae act as shock absorbers, preventing them from rubbing (and thus wearing out) or sliding over each other due to external loads (impacts, pressures, etc.), thereby supporting the body's weight.
The spine consists of 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral, and 3-5 coccygeal vertebrae. In a side view, a double "S" shaped curvature can be seen on it, which is a consequence of human upright posture.
For its optimal functioning, it is essential that its health is also optimal!
To put it another way: the foundation of our life, our WELL-BEING, our HEALTH is a healthy spine (should be)!
Due to the sedentary lifestyle characteristic of our modern and fast-paced world, our body, including the musculature that supports, protects, and stabilizes the spinal column, has weakened, and ergonomically unfavorable muscle-nerve connections have become and are becoming fixed day by day during our routine activities. (sitting in front of a computer, at a desk, in front of the TV, in a car, on public transport - we're almost forgetting how to walk:), using increasingly smart and smaller technical, comfort devices, etc.) All of this leads to long-term body imbalances, and later to musculoskeletal and other health complaints that worsen our general well-being, or in worse cases, can embitter our daily lives. Pains, restricted movement, frequent doctor visits, forced renunciations, etc., however, degrade our quality of life in the long run.
So what can we do ourselves for the health of our spine?
With SPINE TRAINING, we can specifically and effectively support the central pillar of our body from the perspective of movement.
What does the term spine exercise/spine training mean? Why is it worth practicing regularly?
Spine exercise is a complex form of movement that goes far beyond a type of training aimed at health preservation. It affects the entire body and, through it, the soul; practiced regularly, it can bring positive changes in many areas of our lives, significantly improving our quality of life.
Spine exercise strengthens the muscles responsible for spinal stability and helps maintain or restore spinal mobility. Accordingly, it primarily involves developing, strengthening, and stretching the trunk muscles, with particular attention to the deep back muscles alongside the spine, which receive less attention in other traditional aerobic, functional, or other workouts. However, properly designed exercises train not only the back and abdominal muscles but also the muscles of the hips, shoulders, arms, and legs, thus the entire body.
Effects of regular spine training:
- Makes you stronger, more enduring, and more mobile
- Can alleviate or even eliminate neck, shoulder, back, and lower back pain resulting from incorrect lifestyle and movement patterns
- Helps restore the body's muscle balance
- Improves muscle tone
- Shapes the figure
- Improves posture, movement coordination
- Increases body awareness
- The body is almost reborn :)
Who is it recommended for?
Based on the foregoing, perhaps the misconception can be dispelled that spine training is only a movement program recommended for the elderly and those with spinal conditions.
In addition to them, it is recommended for all those who spend more than two hours a day in the same body position (sedentary work, standing work, "resting" at home in front of the TV on the couch, sitting in front of a computer, etc.) or are regularly exposed to unilateral stress. For those who have to search for the most suitable sleeping position at night so they don't wake up stiff, for whom even a shoulder rotation or turning their head is uncomfortable. For those who have ever said, "my neck is stiff," "my back is breaking," "my lower back is giving out," etc. For those who have difficulty bending down to tie their shoelaces, and also for those who already know what it feels like when they can barely straighten up after a wrong move.
For young people, even from childhood or adolescence, in a more playful form, so that correct posture and movement patterns are established from the outset, making it more likely to prevent later body imbalances. As a supplement for athletes, and for the elderly for daily physical activity. For those who have already developed some musculoskeletal problem and, in cooperation with a doctor, it supports rehabilitation. For those who prefer safe, body-shaping, movement culture and body awareness-developing, posture-improving, but not overly intense forms of exercise.
In summary: spine exercise is recommended for everyone, regardless of age or gender, who was born with a spinal column, walks upright on two feet, and wishes to use their body's supporting column functionally and pain-free for a long time, while enjoying pleasant side effects such as flexible, toned muscles, good posture, and the compliments received because of them :)
What happens during a spine training session, what exercises can we expect, how is a class structured?
The 55-minute session begins with a warm-up that mobilizes the body (joints, muscles, cardiovascular system) to prepare it for exertion. Then we specifically work out the entire body!, with an emphasis on the deep and superficial muscles responsible for spinal stability. The exercises are simple, easy to follow, yet complex in their effect. The transitions between individual tasks involve active or more passive mobilization, which allows the currently stressed muscles and muscle groups to relax and rest, while maintaining their readiness for the rest of the class. A spine training session can include dynamic tasks that raise the heart rate, as well as stabilization or static exercises and stretching exercises.
The use of various equipment (fitball, softball, dyner cushion, roller, etc.) makes the class even more enjoyable.
Spine training is recommended 2-3 times a week so that correct postures and movement patterns become ingrained and routine, which, when transferred into daily activities (how to sit, how to bend, rise, lift, how to hold our head, our pelvis, etc.), can truly lead to lifelong HEALTH results :)
Tímea Simitska