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from Rick Mayo's blog

Rise and Shine- Just Don't Stretch          

The Performbetter summit in Providence was outstanding. It's great to see that our industry has evolved beyond fanny packs, mullets and baggy American flag pants. There is no better indicator of the evolution than the unbelievable lineup of presenters.

One such presenter was Dr Stuart McGill, a professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo (Waterloo, ON, Canada). His advice is often sought by governments, corporations, legal experts and elite athletes and teams from around the world. Dr McGill is THE foremost expert on spinal health and performance. Stuart contradicts what 90% of academia and clinicians feel is true. He, however has the science to back it up.

While I plan on giving you more info from the summit over the next few weeks, I'll start with some basic back saving advice.

When you are lying down (sleeping) your discs are relieved of pressure- think no gravity. This allows fluid to seep back into your spine- rehydration. When you first wake you are just a little taller than you are later in the day due to the extra fluid in your spine. This rehydration is very important for spinal health, which is why sleep deprived individuals often exhibit back pain.

While a hydrated, longer spine is critical to back health, you must take a few precautions immediately after you rise. Your spine is more flexible in this hyper-hydrated state. That may sound good, but your back also less considerably less stable at this time. Imagine a slinky, if you will. When you stretch it out it is much less stable than it is when it is in it's contracted position. The same goes for your spine. You are at much higher risk of injury in the first 30 minutes after rising from bed.

What does this mean? Don't stretch or flex your spine under load (lift heavy from the floor) for 30 minutes after waking. This will allow the fluid to "squeeze" out of your spine, thus making it more stable. If you like to train early in the am, give yourself back some time to stabilize before you begin dead lifting etc.

Eric Cressey , told the story of a friend of his that squatted over 800 lbs then injured his back the next morning by picking up his cat from the floor. I know what you're thinking- a guy that squats 800 lbs has a cat? Anyway, it demonstrates how we must be very careful to protect our spines first thing in the morning.

According to Dr McGill, we shouldn't be stretching or flexing our spines anyway, but we will cover that topic at another time.


Rick Mayo