Your lower back is doing your hip's job

A tight low back is the most common thing I see, and I’d bet it’s yours too.

You stretch it, it feels great, and twenty minutes later it’s tight again.

Here’s why.

When your pelvis sits tipped forward, your hip loses the ability to rotate.

You need that rotation on every step, every squat, every deadlift.

If the hip can’t give it, your lower back takes over the hip’s job.

A muscle that never stops working feels tight. That’s the tightness.

Stretching feels good because it quiets the muscle for a few minutes.

Then you stand up, the hip still can’t rotate, and the back goes right back to work.

Here are two drills to help fix this. In this order.

1. Side-lying stepover. Foam roller under the crest of your pelvis. Bottom knee down and it doesn’t move. Inhale, then exhale and bring the top knee just past the bottom one. Come back. Eight reps a side.

2. Swiss ball deadbug. On your back, feet up, gentle pressure into the ball, back flat on the floor. Inhale, then exhale and drop the opposite arm and leg. Two sets of eight each side.

The first one gives the hip room.

The second one teaches the pelvis and the low back to move on their own again, which is the part stretching skips.

Hope you’re moving well and brewing better. ☕

Gabe