A tight waist can be brought about by many things. From long car rides to heavy weightlifting days, you’ll want to take action for peace of mind.
To help relieve your stiffness, Squat University expert Dr. Aaron Hosig of DPT has created a four-step approach to help you loosen it.
Step 1: Cat-Camel
To do this, you’ll be on all fours. In this position, the back is arched while the head is being dropped, and the head is lifted when the back is arched.
“The idea behind cat camels is that they are slowly trying to improve the movements available in the spine. Basically, they let the spine go through different movements and reduce some stiffness in the joints.” Hosig says. “It also flosses the nerves that come out of the joints a little.”
He states that this is not intended to stretch the entire end range (obstructing the position of each end), but to move each movement gently. All you need to do is the top and bottom personnel. This should be enough to see some improvements.
Step 2: Faber Test / Kettlebell Weight Shift Exercise
“Waist stiffness can be a major factor in causing stiffness and pain in some people in the lower back,” says Hosig.
You need to run FaberTest to see if you are tight. To do that, lie on your back and place your foot on your other knee. From here, keep your feet as low as possible while keeping your pelvis level. Do not slide your hips sideways. See how far your feet can go to the ground, then do it on the other side.
“If one hip is floating in the air compared to the other, it means that there is a problem with the hip stretching and rotating outwards, which puts a non-uniform force on the hip. It contributes to a lot of stiffness and tension, “says Horschig.
To fix this, you need to do a kettlebell weight shift exercise. Grab the kettlebell and start from the kneeling position. Take your upper leg and put it sideways at an angle of 30 degrees. Grab the kettlebell and keep your breasts upright. If you open your hips and slide it to the side, your crotch will grow. If you experience a pinch, reposition your foot to find the angle at which you feel your crotch stretch. Press and hold for 5 seconds, then come back. Repeat 5 times in total. Then retest the Faber Test to see if it helps with hip mobility. You should be able to lower your legs even further than before. This shows that it effectively improves hip mobility.
Step 3: Bridge
This will pull in your gluteal muscles, which may not contribute to hip extension, which means your back needs to take over, Horschig explains. If your gluteal muscles aren’t pulling their weight, your back will compensate it more than necessary and do more work. To improve it, start the bridge.
Lying on your back, put a hip circle band on your knees. Open your knees against the resistance of the band. This will turn on the outer hips. Then lift your hips and hold for 5-10 seconds. Your gluteal muscles should be burning in this position. If you feel your hamstrings are cramping, keep your heels closer to your hips and shorter. This reduces the ability to generate force from the hamstrings. Alternatively, you can push down on your toes and push down on your toes. This includes the theory of mutual inhibition, which turns on the quadriceps slightly. This turns off the hamstrings and allows the gluteal muscles to stretch their hips. Repeat 15 times to hold for 10 seconds.
Step 4: Bird dog
This helps to stabilize the core. Weak cores can contribute to tightback. So is the bird dog.
Get down on all fours to do that. Stiffen the core and stretch the opposite arm and leg to create the same amount of tension from the fist to the heel. Hold for 10 seconds. Tap your knee and try again. Maintain a neutral spine and keep your feet close to the floor. Repeat 5-6 times to hold each leg for 10 seconds.
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