It's November, which means we're gearing up for the holidays, so this month's theme is Holiday Prep! Which means lots of drills to teach proper hinging, lifting, and reaching overhead mechanics to ensure cooking for your entire family doesn't leave you needing an emergency appointment with us!
Exercise: Hip Hinge with a Dowel
Purpose: To teach the hips to hinge allowing proper loading of the glutes when bending and lifting
Who It's For: The aspiring chef, the home cook, the matriarch of the family, or the one who hates cooking but contributes by doing the dishes!
Why We Love It: It teaches the mechanics to ensure maximal safety when bending over to lift that 17lb bird out of the oven
Procedure:
Stand with your legs parallel with feet shoulder width apart with a dowel or broomstick along your spine
Maintain 3 points of contact with the dowel: back of your head, middle of your shoulder blades and top of your sacrum (butt)
Keeping your spine straight, hinge at your hips to as low as you can without losing those 3 points of contact
Maintain equal weight on the heels and balls of your feet
You should feel a slight stretch in both hamstrings and loading of the glutes at the bottom of the range
Use your glutes to push the ground away as you come back to standing
Pause at the top of the range, standing tall without hyperextending at your low back
Repeat as prescribed
*Disclaimer: Not all exercises are suitable for everyone, and participation in novel activities may increase the risk of adverse effects such as pain, soreness, or injury. Please consult with your Physician or a local Physical Therapist prior to attempting any exercise you feel uncomfortable performing. If adverse reactions occur, discontinue performance of the exercise and consult your physician or trusted clinician for evaluation.
Keep It Moving Physical Therapy & Wellness
50 Mall Road
Suite 207
Burlington, MA 01803
Want to work with us in person at our Burlington Physical Therapy clinic? Schedule a free discovery call to learn how we can help you move better
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