Let’s wake up and get our deep support structure dancing 🕺

In my practice and clinic I am working daily with issues related to our structure, whether weak or strong.

Today I wish to address our morning routine, and how we can help ourselves before even stepping out of bed.

The ‘Dead Bug’ – the best and most underutilized exercise for our deep intrinsic muscles and core.

These deep core-stabilizing muscles are EXTREMELY important for our spines integrity and health.
They are responsible for stabilizing each individual vertebra that, when all added together, makes up our spine. In order to move our spine for function, we need to activate our superficial core muscles like our rectus abdominis and erector spinae.
However, if these superficial core muscles attempt to move our spine without our deep-core muscles simultaneously stabilizing each vertebral segment, abnormal movement patterns and shearing forces will occur
in the spine.

To correctly execute Dead Bug

To prevent your back from arching, ( loading) you need to engage your deep core muscles. This must be initiated firstly by lifting Pelvic floor, drawing in your abdominals.
This will simultaneously fire up your transverse abdominals and multifidus.
Movement of arms and leg needed to be synchronized with
Diaphragmatic breath.

The ‘Dead bug’ has so many benefits to awaken the stabilizers especially if you suffer from a spine condition.

Two options are fabulous to use first thing in the morning.

1. Lying prone, legs table top, arms up above shoulders. Engage deep abdominals, breath in to prepare, on the exhale, move gently arms and legs to the side, in opposite directions, whilst maintains a stable ‘neutral’ spine
2. Lying prone as above, but lowering the legs forward from the hip, arms moving backwards.

Looking at the 2nd option, this is simple but extremely effective for athletes for example.
The reason being is, due to their muscular strength, they find it very challenging to move their hip joints without
engaging their lower back muscles.
Same can be said for their shoulder joint.
They are challenged to raise raise their arms overhead without arching their backs and sticking their ribs out.

The Dead Bug fixes these issues by teaching them to ‘isolate movement at the hips and shoulders without moving the spine.
Improving this movement pattern brings it back to training the essential muscles for stability of the spine.

This in turn will improve strength long term, but also protecting the spine from movements its not designed to handle.

Find your control from within and reap the rewards 🌸