How to Bend and Lift-“The Hip Hinge”

Lifting and bending is a common source of low back pain(LBP). 

Bending forward can compress the discs at the base of your spine and cause distortion.  Deterioration of the “padding” is common and the discs can then degenerate, bulge and prolapse.

To minimise the wear and tear, bending in a way that reduces the distortion in the first place is ideal.  (Hint: most of the time it’s not “Bending and lifting with your knees”.)

Pressure inside the disc is low when lying.  It increases when we stand with more pressure building as we sit and bend forward.  Adding weight increases the pressure even more. 

You can eliminate the forward bending of the lumbar spine by “hinging the hips”.

The video shows how to develop the skills needed to maintain the “neutral lumbar spine”.   That is a slight forward curve-just like you’d have standing upright.

A neutral lumbar is a “safer position” than you’d have if you just bent straight over.  Some drills on how to support your spine in this position are included so you can protect your most valuable asset-your low back.

The hip hinge technique is explained in depth and the use of a broomstick to develop co-ordination is demonstrated.

Important points to remember are:

1. improve co-ordination and develop some muscle memory by utilising a broomstick on tailbone, back of mid back and back of head (you may need to stand taller/lift breast bone to get all 3 to touch the broomstick)
2. find the neutral lumbar spine by rocking hips back and forward/rolling spine forward and back to find the extremes of movement-neutral is in the middle
3. support this position by pulling belly button into spine-don’t suck gut into chest
4. push butt out backwards as you tilt forward with breast bone
5. start with straight(-ish) legs-this is quite an exaggerated movement. 
6. your hamys will probably complain until they get used to it
7. in real world situations, soften knees a little to allow you to get down a little closer to where you need to bend to.
8. if the object you need to lift is on the ground in front of you and it can fit between feet/knees, there is a chance you can finally “bend and lift with your knees”.  But you sill need to keep your lower back neutral/flat and your butt stuck back out behind you.

So to wrap it up and help you use it in the real world where it counts, practice the little things-like leaning over the basin to brush your teeth or the sink to wash your hands.  You will get into situations at work where you catch yourself bending over with a round low back.  Don’t beat yourself up, realise it’s a learning opportunity and go back, reset, hinge the hips and do it again.  Keep developing co-ordination with the broomstick and practising the right way to bend.  It will become habit in no time.