Workout Wednesday, Bloggers Back Pain

Stretch! Psoas not to Hurt!


(I know, really cute play on words.)  In last weeks "Workout Wednesday", I discussed the psoas (pronounced "so as") muscles and their importance in our core strength.  There is so much more to these guys than I can discuss today, yet most of us have no idea how common hip and back pain are associated with tight or unused psoas muscles.  Why?  Because we sit so darn much!

Without boring you to tears, the lower section of the psoas is the hip floexors.  When the hip flexors are flexed a lot of the time, they will shorten up, resulting in a tight psoas.

Where the psoas attaches to the hip is the "hip flexors".  (Diagram courtesy of StrongLifts.)

In my class last night, Nancy, my trusted sub-instructor, a Physical Therapist, had this to say:  "The psoas is like a pair of suspenders that run from our pelvis up to our lumbar spine."   Well, these suspenders begin to think they should stay shortened and contracted after prolonged sitting.  When they get tight, so does our QL (quadratus lumorum), a muscle in our low back region, and our illiocus, internal hip muscles.   And, let us not forget our sciatica, as it too can be negatively affected by all this tightening!

OK, so, what do you do about it?  Stretch, stretch, stretch!  And here's how:

Begin in this position.  Think: Lengthening from the front hip up through spine.
Tuck pelvis enough to feel the front of the hip (my right).

If you require more, elevate arms overhead and reach from your hips and spine, not your arms.
Tuck your tailbone a bit more.

And if you can handle a bit more, lean back from the low spine, pull up and back, not arching from the low back.

The stretch can be performed while standing.   So, there is no excuse NOT to do them!

I am proposing that you do these stretches every half hour you are seated.  Just try it!  Let me know how it feels.

Workout Wednesday, Whine-free Zone

Fix Your Back, Flatten Your Tummy!


You’ve done a million crunches and every variety of abdominal exercises but can’t understand why your firm belly bulges and your low back feels so tight.  This malady may be due to unused psoas muscles, the deep, inner muscles that begin at the front of the hip near the pubis, run up and attach to the spine. You will need to learn how to control and balance these elusive muscles so that you can correct the postural reflexes that create the problem.

The Psoas can be a real pain!!  Do you ever feel discomfort in your hips or groin (or both)?

Tight (not to be confused with strong) psoas muscles will pull the spine forward along with the abdominal content, causing protrusion. You may feel pain deep in your hips and/ or groin and may easily fatigue when extending your legs above the floor (see photo A).  It is less an issue of strengthening these muscles and more about how to use them effectively that changes the dynamic that has created the problem.

Photo A

In order to understand exactly where your psoas muscles are, lie on your back and bend your left knee in towards your chest, holding it there with both hands.  Lengthen the right leg while turning that foot slightly inward and push your spine towards the floor.  You should feel a lengthening sensation on your right hip flexors (front of hip) and deep within your core along the right side.  You may reach your arms overhead for an even deeper stretch.

Discover your psoas
by holding the left knee in towards your chest an turning your right foot inward.
(a) Pull in your left knee

Control and balance exercises are not the same as strengthening the Psoas.  It is more neurological and less physiological exercises that help create the positive changes you want to see. Begin by laying on your back, (a) inhale and bring the left knee in towards chest (b) then exhale and extend the leg, hovering just above the floor, while maintaining stability in your core. Start with twenty repetitions and then repeat on your right.  If your back is strong enough you can lift the stationary leg off the floor a few inches, but it is highly recommended you try only a few of these at a time until you are sure you can perform the entire set without straining your low back.

(b)  Extend the left leg fully while maintaining stability in your trunk.
I have used a small rolled towel under Adrienne's neck to help her to relax the muscles of her cervical vertebra.


Here is another variation:  Instead of bending and extending your leg, try abducting your leg out to the side (try to keep your toes facing the ceiling) and adducting in again while keeping the opposite hip anchored to the floor.

Adrienne holds her hand atop her left hip as a reminder to 

keep it from moving while abducting the other leg.

I add a “moving” bridge between sets to help relax and “free” your spine. Think of your spine as a strand of pearls and roll your hips up and continue to elevate until only your upper shoulders are left on the floor.  Return your spine to the floor by rolling the spine one vertebra at a time down onto the floor until your tailbone touches the floor, then relax and do it again a few more times!

Thank you, Adrienne, for allowing me to photograph you for this post!