Training the Spinal Muscles: Focus, Technique, and Core Stability

Now that you understand the significance of training your spinal muscles and keeping them strong, let’s delve into how to achieve this crucial aspect of fitness. Unlike many exercises that primarily emphasize body movement, spinal stability training, especially in its initial stages, concentrates on what isn’t moving within your body. As you progress through this section, you’ll discover the key principles and techniques to effectively train these essential muscles.

Prioritize Stillness:

The core principle of spinal stability training is to prioritize stillness. Many exercise routines encourage you to focus on the movements themselves, but this is a different approach. In spinal stability training, especially at the beginning stages, the goal is to keep your spine and core as motionless as possible. This means you should avoid rolling your hips, arching your back, or flattening it during exercises. Maintaining this stillness throughout your routine is of utmost importance.

Avoid Over-Bracing:

While it’s essential to maintain core stability, it’s equally important not to over-brace your muscles. Over-bracing, a technique often introduced in the early stages of rehabilitation, involves consciously tightening your core muscles to keep your spine stable. While this technique is beneficial during initial rehab when your body is regaining stability and your spine is moving inefficiently or even problematically, it’s not intended to be a permanent solution. Continual over-bracing can lead to inefficient movement patterns and the development of unhealthy habits.

Natural and Efficient Core Engagement:

The goal of spinal stability training is to teach your body to engage these crucial muscles automatically and efficiently when needed and to relax them when not in use. This approach ensures that your spinal stabilizers perform their function optimally without the need for constant conscious effort. For example, think about the act of walking. Imagine trying to maintain a perfectly clenched core throughout the entire walk. It’s not practical or sustainable for everyday life activities.

Avoiding Inefficient Habits:

After an injury, people often resort to excessive bracing as a means to reduce pain. While this may offer some initial benefits during the acute phase of an injury, relying on this strategy too much can lead to the formation of bad habits that persist for years or even decades. It’s crucial to break free from this habit and retrain your spinal stabilizers to engage appropriately without the need for continuous, strenuous bracing.

Efficiency in Stability:

Ultimately, the aim is to achieve efficiency in spinal stability. Your muscles should activate precisely when required, allowing your body to move fluidly and naturally when engaged in daily activities. This approach fosters a balanced and functional stability that will benefit you in the long run.

An Analogy from Golf:

To illustrate this concept, consider the analogy golfers often use when discussing their grip on a golf club. Imagine holding a fragile baby bird. You wouldn’t grip it too tightly, as it could harm the bird. Similarly, you want to find the right balance of core engagement and relaxation. The muscles should engage like a well-trained orchestra, playing their parts harmoniously when needed but resting when not.

By understanding these principles and avoiding overuse of bracing, you can train your spinal stabilizers effectively, promoting spinal health, reducing the risk of injuries, and improving overall functional stability for everyday activities.

Building Spinal Stability:

Building and maintaining spinal stability is a fundamental aspect of overall health and well-being. When it comes to your muscles and their role in this process, it’s essential to understand their specific functions and train them effectively. In this section, we will delve into the principles of muscle training and the systematic progression of spinal stability exercises.

Muscles with a Purpose:

First and foremost, it’s crucial to recognize that each muscle in your body has a designated role it was designed to perform. However, injuries can disrupt this natural balance, leading other muscles to step in and compensate, often inefficiently. To regain stability and prevent these compensations, it’s essential to remind your muscles of their primary functions. Picture your muscles as new employees eager to assist but in danger of overstepping boundaries. Instead, the goal is to train your muscles to be more like seasoned union laborers—specialized, efficient, and focused solely on their designated tasks.

The Three Stages of Spinal Stability Training:

The concept of spinal stability training is not new and has been refined over the years. One influential approach, introduced by physical therapist Dr. Michael Jones, involves three stages: fully supported, partially supported, and unsupported. This structured progression provides individuals with a sense of security, gradually transitioning them toward greater independence in their daily lives. We will adapt and expand upon this framework by adding a crucial fourth stage known as dynamic stability.

1. Fully Supported: In the fully supported stage, the focus is on exercises that provide a high level of structural support. These exercises help individuals feel safe and secure as they initiate their journey toward improved spinal stability. The goal is to establish a strong foundation and rebuild confidence in their body’s ability to function.
2. Partially Supported: As individuals progress, they move into the partially supported stage. Here, exercises incorporate less external support, requiring the body to exert more effort to maintain stability. It’s a critical phase where individuals begin to transition from rehabilitation to real-life scenarios, gradually building functional strength and resilience.
3. Unsupported: The unsupported stage represents a significant milestone in spinal stability training. At this point, individuals perform exercises without external support, relying solely on their body’s intrinsic stability. The goal is to prepare the body for everyday activities, ensuring that individuals can engage in them comfortably and pain-free.
4. Dynamic Stability: The fourth stage, dynamic stability, is where training meets real-life functionality. In this phase, individuals learn to stabilize their spine while in motion, replicating the movements they encounter during daily life. It addresses the practical aspect of spinal stability, enabling individuals to walk, bend, twist, and perform various activities without discomfort or pain.

A Comprehensive Approach:

Our objective is to guide you through each stage of this systematic progression, ensuring you regain the ability to perform daily activities with minimal discomfort. 

Building Spinal Stability:

Achieving spinal stability requires a systematic approach, starting with a foundation of support and gradually progressing towards more challenging exercises. This section explores the first two stages of spinal stability training: fully supported and partially supported.

Fully Supported: 

The first stage of spinal stability training, fully supported, provides a secure starting point for individuals on their journey to a stable spine . In this stage, the majority of your body is in contact with a supportive surface, whether it’s the ground, a table, or another stable platform. It’s about minimizing the need for your body to stabilize itself in space, allowing you to concentrate on maintaining stability during exercises.

This stage offers a sense of comfort and security to most people. With ample surface contact, individuals often feel more confident and relaxed when performing these exercises. It’s essential that you experience minimal discomfort during these basic exercises, even though they may not be easy. The key focus in this stage is on keeping your spine perfectly still. Avoid arching, flattening, or twisting your back during exercises. Concentrate on what remains stationary, rather than what moves.

Partially Supported: 

Moving on to the second stage, partially supported , introduces a bit more challenge. During this phase, you may find yourself on your hands and knees or seated in a chair with back support. While you still maintain contact with the ground or a chair, exercises in this stage require an added element of stability while upholding proper form and posture.

One essential concept to understand as you progress is the notion of points of contact. The number of points of contact refers to the areas where your body connects with a supporting surface. For example, when you’re on all fours (hands and knees), you have four small points of contact with the ground, in contrast to the fully supported stage, where you have one extensive point of contact (your entire back).

Imagine your body as a car with four tires. While driving, the vehicle remains stable during turns because it balances on all four corners, even though only a small portion of each tire contacts the road. Now, consider what happens when you remove one of these points of contact. If you lift one hand off the ground from the all-fours position, your body becomes less stable, demanding additional muscular support to maintain your initial position. The muscles in your spine must engage more intensely to fulfill this task.

Unsupported: 

The third stage of spinal stability training, the unsupported phase , introduces a whole new level of challenge. In this stage, exercises are performed without the support of a bed, chair, or other surfaces. Instead, you’ll find yourself on a stool with no back support, perched on a stability ball, or even standing. The primary objective here is to increase the level of stability demanded by your body while executing the exercises.

One striking aspect of the unsupported stage is the reduced number of points of contact with the ground or surface. This increased instability necessitates precise control over your body’s alignment and posture. Furthermore, as you shift to an upright position, you must align yourself with gravity and ground forces, thereby preparing your body for the demands of everyday life. It’s crucial to recognize that few people spend their entire day lying down or on their hands and knees. Therefore, transitioning to unsupported exercises becomes imperative for real-world functionality. You’ll need to develop the capacity to stabilize your body while standing, often requiring you to adopt various foot positions while maintaining a neutral spine.

To illustrate the significance of this stage, consider the experience of pulling open a heavy freezer door in a supermarket. The door exerts a magnetic seal, making it feel remarkably heavy. This sensation results from a vacuum created within the freezer. To counteract this force and open the door, your body must stabilize from your feet all the way to your hand. Achieving this level of stability is precisely what the unsupported stage aims to teach.

we delve into the exercises that target unsupported spinal stability. Ground forces come into play as you plant yourself into the ground, stabilizing your core and body to execute specific actions. An excellent example of this concept can be found in sports, particularly in baseball pitchers. Modern pitchers exhibit well-developed legs and glutes, often surpassing the development of their upper bodies. This emphasis on lower-body strength stems from their ability to generate immense force and power with each pitch. Their power begins at the ground, surging upward through their entire body. While their arms play a pivotal role in ball spin and trajectory, the primary power source is the force exerted against the ground. This analogy can be directly applied to opening the heavy freezer door – without planting your legs first, generating the necessary power becomes an arduous task.

Dynamic: 

The final stage of spinal stability training is the dynamic phase. This stage engages your body in full motion, emphasizing the ability to stabilize your spine while moving . Dynamic stability is crucial because it directly applies to all the movements you encounter in everyday life.

Consider individuals who experience discomfort or pain when walking up a flight of stairs. They require training to stabilize their spine effectively during transitions between different surfaces, such as moving from one floor to another or simply walking down the street. These movements are inherently dynamic, demanding stability to minimize discomfort and pain. The dynamic stage represents the culmination of your spinal stability journey, allowing you to seamlessly incorporate stability into your daily activities. Achieving this level of stability empowers you to move through life with greater ease and comfort, enhancing your overall quality of life.

Building Spinal Stability: 

Now that you understand the importance of training your spinal muscles and keeping them strong, it’s time to delve into the practicalities of achieving this goal. The road to a pain-free, resilient back starts with increasing spinal stability, and this requires not just strength but also endurance, often referred to as tissue tolerance.

Picture your muscles as diligent employees, each with a specific job they were designed to perform. However, when an injury occurs, various muscles, whether suited for the task or not, may jump in to assist. They’re eager to help, but this well-intentioned collaboration can create inefficiencies and even problems down the road. To address this, we must remind these muscles of their primary responsibilities and help them focus on their designated roles.

Imagine your muscles as a new hire eager to lend a hand wherever needed. This initially seems beneficial, but this individual can quickly become a hindrance. What we aim for, instead, is to train your muscles to behave more like seasoned union laborers – well-versed in their single, specialized task and uninterested in encroaching on their colleagues’ domains.

Strengthening Your Back: 

My journey into the world of spinal stabilization exercise began over two decades ago, guided by the wisdom of physical therapist Dr. Michael Jones, PhD, from the American Academy of Health Fitness and Rehab Professionals. Dr. Jones introduced me to the concept of spinal stability training, which I’ll outline in three foundational stages: fully supported, partially supported, and unsupported. However, I’ll also introduce a crucial fourth stage called dynamic stability, taking you from rehabilitation to real-life application.

Our primary goal is to help you regain the confidence and functionality to perform daily activities with minimal discomfort or pain. It’s about getting you back to the point where you can navigate your life without the persistent shadow of back issues. 

Fully Supported:

The first stage of spinal stability training, known as fully supported, lays the foundation for your strengthening journey. During this phase, your body, or at least the majority of it, is supported by the ground, a table, or a similar surface. The key is to ensure a significant amount of surface contact, reducing the need for your body to stabilize itself for balance or additional support.

Most individuals feel secure and comfortable in this stage, as their bodies are well-supported, boosting their exercise confidence. However, it’s important to note that while these exercises provide a basic level of support, they are by no means easy. Your primary focus here should be on maintaining spinal stability. Avoid arching, flattening, or twisting your back during these exercises, prioritizing what remains still over what is in motion.

Partially Supported: 

The second stage, partially supported, introduces a higher level of challenge. In this phase, you may find yourself on hands and knees or seated in a chair with back support. While your body maintains substantial contact with the ground or chair, you must engage additional stability to maintain proper form and posture.

Think of this stage in terms of points of contact with the ground. When on all fours, you have four small points of contact with the ground, which is quite different from lying on your back with one extensive surface contact along your backside. Reducing the number of contact points increases the instability, compelling the muscles of your spine to engage more intensely.

we’ll delve into exercises falling under the category of partially supported, further challenging your body and enhancing your spinal stability.

Unsupported: 

The third stage of spinal stability training, the unsupported phase, introduces a whole new level of challenge. In this stage, exercises are performed without the support of a bed, chair, or other surfaces. Instead, you’ll find yourself on a stool with no back support, perched on a stability ball, or even standing. The primary objective here is to increase the level of stability demanded by your body while executing the exercises.

One striking aspect of the unsupported stage is the reduced number of points of contact with the ground or surface. This increased instability necessitates precise control over your body’s alignment and posture. Furthermore, as you shift to an upright position, you must align yourself with gravity and ground forces, thereby preparing your body for the demands of everyday life. It’s crucial to recognize that few people spend their entire day lying down or on their hands and knees. Therefore, transitioning to unsupported exercises becomes imperative for real-world functionality. You’ll need to develop the capacity to stabilize your body while standing, often requiring you to adopt various foot positions while maintaining a neutral spine.

To illustrate the significance of this stage, consider the experience of pulling open a heavy freezer door in a supermarket. The door exerts a magnetic seal, making it feel remarkably heavy. This sensation results from a vacuum created within the freezer. To counteract this force and open the door, your body must stabilize from your feet all the way to your hand. Achieving this level of stability is precisely what the unsupported stage aims to teach.

we delve into the exercises that target unsupported spinal stability. Ground forces come into play as you plant yourself into the ground, stabilizing your core and body to execute specific actions. An excellent example of this concept can be found in sports, particularly in baseball pitchers. Modern pitchers exhibit well-developed legs and glutes, often surpassing the development of their upper bodies. This emphasis on lower-body strength stems from their ability to generate immense force and power with each pitch. Their power begins at the ground, surging upward through their entire body. While their arms play a pivotal role in ball spin and trajectory, the primary power source is the force exerted against the ground. This analogy can be directly applied to opening the heavy freezer door – without planting your legs first, generating the necessary power becomes an arduous task.

Dynamic: Embracing Spinal Stability in Motion

The final stage of spinal stability training is the dynamic phase. This stage engages your body in full motion, emphasizing the ability to stabilize your spine while moving. Dynamic stability is crucial because it directly applies to all the movements you encounter in everyday life.

Consider individuals who experience discomfort or pain when walking up a flight of stairs. They require training to stabilize their spine effectively during transitions between different surfaces, such as moving from one floor to another or simply walking down the street. These movements are inherently dynamic, demanding stability to minimize discomfort and pain.

The dynamic stage represents the culmination of your spinal stability journey, allowing you to seamlessly incorporate stability into your daily activities. Achieving this level of stability empowers you to move through life with greater ease and comfort, enhancing your overall quality of life.

Increasing Spinal Stability: 

Once you’ve built a solid foundation of spinal stability through these progressive stages, it’s time to focus on strengthening your muscles and developing endurance. Building endurance, also known as tissue tolerance, is crucial for maintaining stability over extended periods.

Diversifying Your Training for Optimal Spinal Health

Now that you have a good grasp of spinal stability training, it’s time to expand your horizons and explore complementary training methods. While spinal stability training is a cornerstone of back health, other approaches play significant roles, especially as you regain function and increase your pain tolerance.

Core Work: 

Often, people mistakenly assume that spinal stability training is synonymous with core work. While both are essential, they differ in focus and function. Spinal stability training revolves around minimizing movement within the spine while other body parts are active. In contrast, core work typically entails trunk movement, although it can overlap with spinal stability exercises, such as planks.

Core exercises like crunches and bicycles hold a pivotal role during the dynamic phase of spinal stability training and beyond, as you transition into a more generalized fitness routine. These exercises act as a bridge to real-world activities and daily life. After all, expecting your spine to remain completely immobile for the rest of your life is neither practical nor desirable. The goal is to cultivate a strong core capable of accommodating full ranges of motion while supporting your spine during everyday tasks.

Consider the multitude of movements you engage in daily: sitting and getting up from a car, bending over to pick something up, reaching, twisting, slouching, extending, and more. Your spine is naturally designed to perform these actions. Your mission is to rebuild the supporting muscles to execute these motions confidently and without hesitation. Following a back injury, it’s common for individuals to adopt a rigid posture to protect themselves. However, maintaining such rigidity indefinitely isn’t a viable option. Instead, the aim is to move with newfound freedom and confidence, and core work helps bridge the gap between stabilization exercises and functional movements.

Core exercises will become integral around the fifth to sixth month of your training program as you transition toward optimal movement patterns. Over time, you’ll notice an improved range of motion and enhanced control, along with the newfound ability to stabilize your spine, ensuring safe, freer movement. It’s essential to note that, depending on your diagnosed medical condition, you may need to limit certain ranges of motion to ensure safety (we’ll delve into these conditions later in the book). As you grow stronger, you might find that you can comfortably perform broader ranges of motion, even with underlying medical conditions. However, always prioritize safety during exercise.

Lower-Extremity Training: 

A strong connection exists between spinal strength and a robust lower body. As your spine strengthens, it’s essential not to neglect your legs. Unfortunately, lower-body training is an area where many people, especially men, tend to fall short. You’ve likely encountered individuals with substantial upper body muscles but relatively underdeveloped lower body muscles. This phenomenon persists because leg exercises are often less glamorous and less enjoyable than other workouts, as well as hidden by pants rather than showcased by tight shirts.

There are numerous leg exercises to consider, but the key is to achieve maximum benefits with minimal effort. In addition to specific gluteal exercises, lower-extremity training should incorporate compound exercises that engage multiple leg muscles simultaneously in a functional manner. For example, compare a squat to a leg extension. While the leg extension primarily targets the quadriceps (front of the thigh), the squat engages the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, inner thighs, calves, and even the feet. Moreover, squats activate various trunk muscles that help stabilize your core. You don’t need heavy weights or an elaborate setup; a simple stand-up-and-sit-down motion suffices as a squat, working multiple muscle groups.

However, it’s crucial to exercise caution when performing leg exercises at the gym. The 45-degree leg press, an older machine frequently found in gyms, often causes herniated or ruptured discs. Users tend to overload the machine, and during the downward phase of the exercise, they round their backs to lift the weight back up. This poor form places excessive strain on the spine. Hence, it’s advisable to avoid this machine altogether. Instead, consider using your own body as the exercise machine.

Bodyweight exercises such as squats, step-ups, and lunges are highly effective for your lower body and more functional for daily life. While these exercises offer an excellent starting point, keep in mind that there are countless alternatives to choose from. The exercises I mention are just a sample of the possibilities. Don’t hesitate to explore other exercises you are familiar with and enjoy, as long as they align with your fitness goals and safety precautions.