“Sloppy” Push Up Variations

We all slouch when we sit. A lot. Our spine is meant to move in all directions, so it’s not like rounding the spine forward– or slouching– is bad in itself, it’s just that so many of us do this movement all the time, and rarely put our backs in any other position. Think about it. Sitting at work, sitting while driving and eating, sitting in front of the television or visiting with people– it’s all sustained positions where our lower back is essentially fully bent forward, which is the slouching position. Then you bend forward to brush your teeth, sit on the toilet, reach in the fridge, load the dryer etc.

A great position to get your back out of the rounded forward position to do the opposite is called a “sloppy” push up. This arching of your back mechanically gets the joints of the spine gliding how they are supposed to, yet rarely does in life. It should feel smooth and easy, so if it’s feeling stiff or tight or sore, it’s telling you that you need to work through something. If that soreness continues, see you physiotherapist who can help you get to the point that the arching movement is pain-free.

Check out this video on variations of the sloppy push up, as what you do with your hands and feet dictate what part of your spine bends the most. You can see other helpful One Minute Wellness videos on our YouTube Channel at Elevation Physiotherapy & Wellness.

Stretching Should NOT be a Major Component of Physical Fitness

This recent study looks at static stretching, specifically the sit-and-reach test. The argument has always been that hamstring flexibility is important to activities of daily living and sports performance, and the American College of Sports Medicine currently recommends 2-4 repetitions of multiple stretches a day.

This author feels there should be decreased emphasis on stretching as a necessary component of exercise regimes, as static stretching does not clearly improve health and function, and flexibility can be maintained or improved more efficiently through other modes of exercise.

Flexibility levels are usually greater in older adults who are most independent in activities of daily living, but so is muscle strength. Higher scores in the sit-and-reach test do not predict who will have lower back pain, hamstring injuries, or lower limb pain. Stretching to prevent injuries has not been backed up in the evidence.

The author argues that reducing emphasis on stretching will make exercise training more efficient, and poor flexibility in the general population may be due to reduced physical activity. If an exercise session can be shorter, people may be more consistent with doing it. Time previously dedicated to stretching could be better used with additional aerobic or resistance exercise. Leisure activities or aerobic and resistance exercise should be able to maintain or improve muscle flexibility in most people.

This author makes a point of saying that muscle flexibility is irrelevant for overall health and function, and that it should not be considered a major component of physical fitness for most people. He argues that stretching generally does not improve function in healthy individuals when compared to other forms of activities or exercise.

Finally, the author notes that dynamic stretches are different than static stretches—they use body weight and recruit multiple muscles and a neural component to perform, likely making them more functional than static stretching.

Child’s pose

If the evidence we have to date is showing that static stretches do not advance our fitness or health, and we get more gains through aerobic-type workouts and resistance training, maybe our time is better spent learning dynamic stretches for blood flow and getting our muscles to end-range pre-exercise.

What do you think?

Nuzzo, James. The Case for Retiring Flexibility as a Major Component of Physical Fitness. Sports Medicine (2020). 50: 853-870.

One Minute Wellness: Sitting Posture

During this crazy time of COVID-19, Elevation Physiotherapy & Wellness is closed with so many other businesses, and people are at home. Since it is not normal life, many people are probably sitting even more than normally. Research shows that it’s best to keep moving around when you’re sitting and change up your position regularly, but here is a tip to get you out of the slouching position we spend so much time in: