Excessive deflection in the lower back, or hyperlordosis of the lumbar spine, is the wrong position of the spine, in which the lumbar curve becomes too deep. With this position, the stomach is protruded forward, and the pelvis goes back. And you start to resemble a fitonishka, who wants to show what ass she pumped up.
Why arises and how dangerous is hyperlordosis
Among the common causes of acquired hyperlordosis of the lumbar region – excess weight, pregnancy, osteoporosis, spondylolisthesis, sedentary lifestyle.
Also the cause of hyperlordosis is often called walking on his heels. However, scientistsMeasurement of lumbar lordosis in static standing with and without high-heeled shoes did not confirm this dependence.
Deformation and displacement of the vertebrae with lumbar hyperlordosis threatens with pinching of the nerve roots, intervertebral hernias, inflammation of the muscles surrounding the spine, and other complications.
What happens to the muscles
With any violation of posture, there is excessive stiffness of some muscles and weakness of others. And lumbar hyperlordosis is no exception.
Here is the list of hard muscles that pull the backbone:
But the weak muscles, which are constantly in a stretched position:
How to determine if you have an excessive deflection in the lower back
With hyperlordosis, the lower back can be sore, especially when walking and other physical exertion, and also if you sleep on your stomach.
If you are suffering from back pain, consult your doctor. An orthopedic doctor determines the presence of hyperlordosis and the severity of the disease by X-ray images of the spine, as well as visual inspection.
Heavy forms of lumbar hyperlordosis (if you have this particular disorder) are treated with medications, physiotherapy, manual therapy, massage and exercise therapy. The complex of measures allows to effectively influence the muscles around the spine and restore the correct posture.
If you do not have pain and limited mobility, however, you suspect a curvature of posture, here are a few tests to check.
The test for pelvic bones
For this test, you will need a chalk or pencil, a vertical plane, a ruler and a protractor.
Feel the front and back protruding pelvic bones – the anterior and posterior superior iliac bone.
Mark on the plane the level of the front upper awn, and then the level of the rear. Draw two parallel lines, and then join the marks and measure the angle. Normally, the pelvic angle should be between 7 and 15 degrees.
Test with two palms
This is a simpler test that does not require measurements. Just attach the edge of one palm to the diaphragm, and the other – to the lower part of the abdomen. Ideally, one palm should be placed above the other.
If the upper arm protrudes forward relative to the lower arm, you have an excessive deflection in the lower back.
How to fix hyperlordosis
To correct the posture, you need to tone the weak muscles and at the same time relieve the tension from the stiff muscles. Let’s begin with relaxation of the clamped muscles.
Exercises for stretching
Since the enslaved muscles are located deep, they can not be rolled out on massage rollers or balls. Therefore, we will relax them with stretching.
Cat – cow
This exercise warms up and stretches the back muscles extensively.
Stand on all fours. Bend your back up, starting from the waist. Try to feel that the vertebra rises behind the vertebrae.
And now gradually, the vertebra behind the vertebra, bend down, starting from the thoracic region and ending with the lumbar.
Repeat 5-8 times.
Tilting to the legs with stretching
This exercise will help you to stretch well the square muscles of the waist and the back muscles of the extensor. You can use a stopwatch or just think about yourself.
Sit on the floor, pull forward straight legs. Bend over, without bending your knees, and stretch forward 10 seconds, rounding your back, like in the photo on the left.
Now, straining the muscles-extensors of the back, bend to the other side, as in the photo to the right. Hold this position for 10 seconds.
Again bend over to the legs and stretch for another 40 seconds.
Perform 3-5 such cycles. Due to a slight muscle contraction, you can deepen the pose and stretch the deep muscles better.
Stretching of the square muscle of the waist
Sit down on the floor, keep your right foot forward, and start the left leg back. The angle in both laps is 90 degrees.
Tilt the body to the right, place your right hand on the floor, left stretch to the side and forward, stretching the entire left side.
Try to stretch the left thigh during stretching and down. Hold the pose for 30 seconds, and then repeat all the other way.
Stretching of the ilio-lumbar muscle
Go down on one knee. There must be right angles between the hip and shank, thigh and hull.
Tighten the buttocks, twisting the pelvis. Lower your shoulders, remove the shoulder blades, tighten the press. Keep tension until the end of the exercise.
From this position, swing back and forth a little. Continue to swing for 1 minute, then change your leg and repeat.
In this exercise it is important to keep the buttocks tight and the pelvis tightened. If you do everything right, you will feel a strain in the groin of the supporting leg.
Stretching of the ilio-lumbar muscle on the floor
Lie on the floor on your stomach. Bend the right leg in the knee, lift the shin and grasp the right hand by the ankle.
Tighten the hip and lift the casing up. Only the thoracic region rises, the sight is directed downward, the neck is straight. Hold in this position for a second, and then drop on your stomach and change your leg.
Repeat 5 times for each leg.
These five exercises will take you no more than 12-15 minutes. After them, the feeling of fatigue disappears, the back will feel more flexible.
However, stretching is not enough to correct the posture. You need strength exercises that will tone your weak muscles.
Strength Exercises
Slow twisting
Lay down on the floor on your back, stretch your arms above your head. Start slowly twisting your back, lifting your arms and neck first, then the thoracic spine and then lumbar. At the extreme point, you sit, the angle between your legs and body is 90 degrees, your arms are stretched out.
Begin as slowly to descend, until you accept the starting position. Execute the exercise 10 times.
Each rise and fall should be done no faster than 20 seconds – consider yourself or watch the stopwatch.
Try to spend more time in the most difficult positions, do not stay at extreme points: once you have touched the floor, immediately lift the case again.
Classic and side bar
Stand in the classic bar on your hands for 30 seconds. Turn around and tear off one hand from the floor, going into the side bar. Hold the pose for another half a minute.
Return to the straight bar again for 30 seconds. Now go to the side bar to the other side for 30 seconds.
Do as many cycles as you can.
Exercise “Vacuum”
This exercise helps to tone the transverse abdominal muscle, which supports the internal organs.
Lie on your back, bend your knees, put your feet on the floor. Place your hand on the abdomen below the navel to control movement.
Take a breath so that the stomach is puffed up, and the hand lying on it, rose. Exhale the air and imagine what you need to get your navel to the floor or to the spine. In this case, the stomach is strongly retracted. Hold in this position for 3-5 seconds.
Repeat the exercise 10 times.
Exercises for thighs and buttocks
There are many exercises to strengthen the gluteus maximus and hamstrings:
- Any sit-ups: with dumbbells, barbells, espanders, jumps.
- Falls: on two or one leg, in motion through the hall or on site, with free weights or without.
- Deadlift: with a barbell or with dumbbells, on two or one leg.
The options and techniques for performing hip exercises are described in this article. Here – exercises for the buttocks, if you hate squats, and in the video below – if you love them.
Choose four exercises – two for the buttocks and two for the hamstrings – and include them in your workout.
How often to train
This simple training will take you no more than half an hour. If after the first lesson you have uncomfortable muscle aches, perform strength exercises every other day, and stretching every day.
When the body gets used to the load, do all the exercises every day. It will be especially useful for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle. Half an hour of light loads after work will help get rid of excess calories and eventually correct the posture.
