The Inbox Blog

Keep up with the latest health and fitness tips and insights from inbox rehab.

02.24.2017

Low Back Tightness? How to recover..

 

There’s been a lot of talk about the CrossFit open workout 17.1 in past 18 hours on how to PREPARE..

What’s the best game plan?  How to strategize the movements standards?  How to pace to make it all the way through the reps?  When to rest?  How to breathe?

But what about the after?  There’s not been much talk on the RECOVERY afterward.  After you collect yourself, and retrieve your soul that you left in a pool of sweat by the dumbbell, what should you do to make sure the rest of your day and the next day(s) aren’t wasted and completely miserable?

3 main things:  Perform this sequence throughout the day following your 17.1 attempt

  1. Cat – Camels.  2 sets of 30
    These will help you regain some safe spinal motion into your low back; and allow the muscles to relax back to normal.  ***Tuck your hips/pelvis under and then push your hips back toward to wall behind you***
  2. Kneeling Hip Flexor stretch.  2 sets of 15/leg
    This position will loosen up your hip flexor muscles; and your quads, which will be on fire following the workout.  ***Key in this mobilization is to keep your back straight,  avoid over extending, or leaning backwards.***
  3. Supported Breathing Position. Accumulate 2 minutes in this position.
    This position may be the most important of the 3.  It will help take gravity out of the picture to allow you body to reset and allow your low back to relax.

Some other helpful tips:

  • Try not to sit or stand following the workout for longer than 20-30 minutes at a time.  Long duration’s of one position will cause the muscles and tissues to tighten back up.
  • Drink fluids.  Something with electrolytes immediately after the workout and then water the rest of the day (Ice in your whiskey doesn’t count).  Think of Adam Sandler’s movie, The Waterboy
  • Run through this routine outlines above a couple times throughout the day.  It should be the first thing you do the next morning.  Obviously after coffee..

If tightness doesn’t start to dissipate and you don’t feel back to ‘normal’ after 2-3 days,  give us a call at the office and we can get you back to 100% ASAP.

314-399-8941.

inboxrehab.com

 

Tyler Bryant