Your hips are they key to avoiding back pain

Poor sitting posture is a major cause of back problems, though it’s by no means the only one. Poor posture generally — whether we’re sitting, standing, walking, running or anything else — is a major contributor to a range of back and musculoskeletal problems. (Chances are, like 80 per cent of adults in the UK, you suffer from at least one of them.)

The key to avoiding/minimising back pain is a correctly aligned spine. And the key to maintaining that? The hips.

They’re the essential connection between your spine and the ground/chair/sofa. If they’re strong, they create a stable base through your pelvis to your spine. If they’re not, poor postural alignment is almost inevitable. As, over time, are pain and stiffness.

Creating this stable base is relatively easy and can be achieved in three simple steps. Start with two basic isolating exercises and build on them with a third, more dynamic functional exercise, which will ensure true stability.

Clam

Lie on your side, knees bent to 90 degrees and ankles, hips and shoulders all lined up. Keep your top hip rolled slightly forwards, bottom knee on the ground and feet together. Now slowly lift your top knee off the bottom knee to engage the outside of your bottom. Perform 20 repetitions both sides. (As a progression lift both feet off the ground.)

Bridge

Lying on your back with your knees bent, engage your lower abdominals and buttocks, push through your feet to lift your hips off the floor, hold for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times.

Split Squat

Stand facing a mirror, with your feet shoulder width apart. Step forward onto your right leg and come up onto your toes of your left foot. Keep your hips/pelvis level and your front knee over your second toe but not forward of your toes. Slowly bend your back knee to 90 degrees to drop into a split squat and then return. Perform 10 repetitions, then repeat the other way round.

Cheyne Voss is lead physiotherapist at TenPhysio (tenphysio.com). David Higgins is away.