Even the strongest athletes have aches and pains they must deal with. Aches and pains are a byproduct of pushing your body to the limit in the gym and on the field.
The lower back is a notoriously troublesome area for athletes. If another area of your body is tight or fails to move correctly, your lower back often compensates and takes on stress that it wasn't designed to handle.
More often than not, the culprit is your hips.
The hips are incredibly complex. Both large and small muscles crisscross the joint, and they can fail you if you have poor posture or muscular imbalances. And the lower back often takes the brunt.
So what should you do? You need a comprehensive strategy that goes beyondthe lower back and addresses the root cause of the problem.
Fortunately, Matt Ibrahim, strength coach and owner of Movement Resilience, and Dr. Zachary Gabor, physical therapist and strength coach at Boston Physical Therapy and Wellness, have a solution.
Recently, Ibrahim posted a series on Instagram called 30 Days of Low-Back and Hip Health, detailing a complete strategy for addressing your problems, eliminating pain and becoming a better athlete.
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Here's the complete series:
Day 1 – Push-Ups
Day 2 – Single Leg Hamstring Floss
Day 3 – Overhead Resisted Dead Bug
Day 4 – Medicine Ball Overhead Slams
Day 5 – Side Lying QL Stretch for Low Back
Day 6 – Low Back Pain & Medical Imaging
Day 7 – RKC Plank
Day 8 – Kettlebell Deadlift
Day 9 – Inchworm
Day 10 – Half-Kneeling Wall Hip Flexor Stretch
Day 11 – Walking Split-Stance RDL
Day 12 – Burpees
Day 13 – Pull-Ups
Day 14 – Dead Stop Single-Leg RDL
Day 15 – Greatest Stretch
Day 16 – Low-Back Pain and Aerobic Walking
Day 17 – Mountain Climbers
Day 18 – Kettlebell Swings
Day 19 – Single-Arm Suitcase Carries
Day 20 – Single-Leg Lowers
Day 21 – Goblet Squat
Day 22 – Butt Wink & Excessive Arch in the Squat
Day 23 – Pull Through
Day 24 – Hammer Nail Glute Stretch
Day 25 – Sled Drag
Day 26 – Low Back Pain and Your Environment
Day 27 – Glute Bridge
Day 28 – Sled Push
Day 29 – Side Plank
Day 30 – Crawling
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Photo Credit: Getty Images // Thinkstock
