Find your Neutral Spine with Dr. Jillian

Neutral Spine is an optimal position we want to achieve during any lifting or strengthening exercises as it places your joints in a midrange without stressing any structures in the front or back.

▪️ Each of our neutral spines will look different from one person to another as we all have varying ranges of motions in our spine.

▪️ How to find our individual neutral spine:

1️⃣ Start by sitting on a firm, edge of a chair, feet flat on the ground and sitting on your butt bones.

➡️ Slowly you are going to explore your spinal range by slouching down by rolling pelvis backward and dropping your sternum down to one extreme of motion and then roll your pelvis forward by lifting your sternum to the opposite extreme of motion.

2️⃣ Keep alternating back and forth between these extremes as you soften the motion to your neutral position.

*️⃣ To maintain this position during exercises, do an abdominal bracing (see video!)

▪️ Practice finding your neutral spine in various positions throughout the day and then work on maintaining it.

Hip Hinge Pattern

▪️In order to master squats, lunges and deadlifts, you need to understand how to properly hip hinge as this is the KEY to facilitating the movement from your legs and not your low back.

▪️While sitting in a chair, find your neutral spine, place a stick/swifter along your spine, abdominally brace to maintain your spine in this position and then bend forward at your hips without letting the stick come off of your lower back/buttocks area.

▪️To go deeper into the motion, widen your legs.

▪️Once comfortable with the hip hinging pattern, staggered one leg in from of the other and practice going from sit to stand and back to sitting.

▪️If done correctly, you should feel your thigh and buttock muscles working.