Upper Spine Arching Low and Long to Lengthen the Lumbar and Release Neck and Shoulder Tension

In most arching exercises, the head and neck are lifted too high which doesn't enable the thoracic and cervical parts of the spine to lengthen and suspend away from the large lumbar vertebrae.

In other words, if you lift your head to arch, then your neck will over -arch, when in fact, an arch should lengthen the entire spine.

In addition, if the upper spine is pulled back with the head and neck being lifted up, then the gluteus muscles will squeeze to support the lumbar spine, and the vertebrae in that lower part of the spine will be compressed.

The arching demonstrated here is low and long so that the head directs the upper spine to separate off of the large lumbar vertebrae - then space can be created between those vertebrae, because the lumbar can truly extend down through the sacrum and out the tail.

A simple way to approach it is to think of lengthening the spine in two directions: the upper spine - everything above the navel line - extends out the crown of the head, and the lower or lumbar spine extends through the sacrum and out the tail.

The head extends the upper spine away from the tail extending the lower spine.

Rather than lift, lengthen!

Category:

Education

Tags:

• low back pain
• core strength
• lumbar spine
• arching
• exercise
• how to arch the spine
• using arms like wings
• triceps
• scapula
• shoulder girdle
• neck tension
• frozen shoulder
• upper back tension
• posture
• lumbar vertebrae
• disc compression
• low back exercises