Stabilise your back?

Stabilisation exercises and you!
The danger with telling people over and over that they they need stabilisation exercises to protect their spine is this: People end up believing their back is weak, at risk and needs extra protection.

This can snow ball- where people can end up walking around braced, over protective, not letting themselves move freely for fear that their disc might fall out. Scared to move. Stressed and confused. Deconditioned. And in worsening pain.

For the vast majority of people with back pain, please remember your back is inherently strong and stable. It has a very complex support mechanism which involves brain-nerve- muscle pathways switching on and off without you even thinking about it as you sit, stand, walk, move. Our human bodies have evolved over many Millenia to get the job done.
So please, be mindful. Move to feel well/ better/ good. Don't move out of fear (unless you are running away from a tiger ofcourse- then run like the wind 😜) 

These exercises can be wonderful! If you've been sitting most the day flexed forward at a computer, balance it with some muscle activation in the opposite direction. Or if you've been sitting on a plane, dehydrated and feeling squashed up, stretch out and get your muscles working.
When doing these poses/ holds/ movements please focus on:
- relaxed breathing
- being aware of and in control of your technique 
- find your favourites
- seek to move easier, freer and with less effort rather than tenser + more rigid.
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Ps ensure you have supervision from someone who knows what their doing. In this case I asked a horse in the know to keep an eye on my technique.