Rowers Benefit From Keeping Their Spines Nimble
Whether you are a novice rower, seasoned rowing veteran, or gym erger, maintaining and improving the articulation of your spine is important in supporting your fitness goals and overall health and wellness.
It is specifically important when it comes to rowing because more of the time spent in your stroke is with your spine in flexion, curved forward towards your legs.
It is the thoracic region of your spine in rowing that we are most concerned with, an area which is normally one of the already less well articulated regions, from your bottom rib up to your collar bone.
A nimble spine is important for preventing low back pain and injury as well as posture.
The analogy I like to use in thinking of the spine is a strand of pearls.
Each vertebrae is one of the pearls in a strand that is being placed down from the head to the tail bone.
Below is a Pilates exercise for you to incorporate into your routine to aid in working on your spinal flexibility.
Shoulder Bridge 1.
Lie on your back on the mat.
2.
Place your feet a hand and a half away from your glutes, hip width apart.
3.
Begin at your tailbone and start lifting your pelvis up thinking about lifting up one vertebrae at a time.
Stop when your hips are lifted to the point that your shoulder and knee make a straight line.
4.
Feel energy reaching from your hip to your knee, like your knees are stretching to the opposite wall.
Make sure you are pressing your triceps, shoulder and upper back firmly into the mat.
5.
As you prepare to come back down to the mat, envision your spine like a strand of pearls.
Start at your breast bone, draw your ribs together, and drop one vertebrae at a time down on the mat, trying to pull your tailbone closer to your heels.
It is specifically important when it comes to rowing because more of the time spent in your stroke is with your spine in flexion, curved forward towards your legs.
It is the thoracic region of your spine in rowing that we are most concerned with, an area which is normally one of the already less well articulated regions, from your bottom rib up to your collar bone.
A nimble spine is important for preventing low back pain and injury as well as posture.
The analogy I like to use in thinking of the spine is a strand of pearls.
Each vertebrae is one of the pearls in a strand that is being placed down from the head to the tail bone.
Below is a Pilates exercise for you to incorporate into your routine to aid in working on your spinal flexibility.
Shoulder Bridge 1.
Lie on your back on the mat.
2.
Place your feet a hand and a half away from your glutes, hip width apart.
3.
Begin at your tailbone and start lifting your pelvis up thinking about lifting up one vertebrae at a time.
Stop when your hips are lifted to the point that your shoulder and knee make a straight line.
4.
Feel energy reaching from your hip to your knee, like your knees are stretching to the opposite wall.
Make sure you are pressing your triceps, shoulder and upper back firmly into the mat.
5.
As you prepare to come back down to the mat, envision your spine like a strand of pearls.
Start at your breast bone, draw your ribs together, and drop one vertebrae at a time down on the mat, trying to pull your tailbone closer to your heels.
