Lower Back Extension – A Worryingly, Overlooked Matter!

13 March 2025

In society, particularly within the health and wellness space, we are constantly taught that moderation is key — that excessive amounts of anything can be harmful. Processed meats, alcohol, refined carbohydrates, even chia seeds! But when it comes to lower back extension, it seems like people just can’t get enough of it. The word excessive doesn’t even begin to describe it. It’s like… “I’m arching hard through my lower back when I work, walk, run, stand up, lie down, or…

Stop training like this for improved movement

19 November 2024

Compensations.Inevitable in life, in exercise, and in sport.But in the gym or our exercise classes, the last thing we want to be doing is cranking through these compensations. Why? Because this quickly diminishes range of motion at the joints, makes tissue feel tight and stiff, and negatively impacts our overall movement and mobility. Now, if you’ve ever worked with me or seen me on the gym floor, you’ll know I talk a lot about internal rotationthroughout the body. Let’s simplify…

Why our left and right side will always feel different

19 November 2024

Whether it’s performing a stretch in yoga, balancing on one side in reformer Pilates, or completing a unilateral exercise in the gym — we can all agree that one side always feels different to the other. Here’s why that’s nothing to be concerned about: For the most part, the left side of our body tends to feel slightly tighter, stiffer, and more restricted. That’s because the body is naturally biased to the right-hand side — and this is perfectly normal.Why?…

Why chest ‘openers’ or ‘stretches’ could be detrimental

01 September 2024

First, let’s understand why muscles feel ‘tight’. Muscles often feel ‘tight’ due to the joint shape and position — not because they are short, weak, or in need of stretching. A quick example: the hamstrings If I lack internal rotation (the ability to put force into the ground), I may orient or dump the pelvis forward as I arch my lower back. Now consider the hamstring muscles in this scenario: This orientation causes the hamstrings to become lengthened In response,…

We are predisposed to shift forward

12 August 2024

Due to the natural lordotic curvature of the spine and nutation of the sacrum, humans are predisposed to shift their centre of mass forward — towards the toes. But the more we push our centre of mass forward, the more we: Lock up at the joints Reduce movement options Lose mobility The gym often makes this worse — quickly. The vast majority of people enter the gym with no form of assessment from a biomechanics or movement specialist. They unknowingly…

Lower Back Pain: It isn’t due to ‘weak’ glutes

06 August 2024

Ever been told your glutes are “weak” or “aren’t firing”? Been prescribed countless glute ‘strengthening’ exercises to clear up your back pain — but still not seeing long-term results? Let’s break it down properly. Muscles aren’t weak or strong in isolation. Muscles respond to joint shape and position. They’ll become long or short, concentric or eccentric, depending on the joint orientation around them — not because they’re inherently “weak”. What about in lower back pain? If someone has persistent lower…

Decoding Kyphosis

02 June 2024

Been doing “textbook” T-spine extensions, chest openers, or stretching for a while now… with no results? It’s time to stop chasing symptoms and understand the root cause — and how to actually address it. The shape of the T-spine affects movement. Some people’s thoracic spines are more kyphotic, others less so.The shape of the T-spine will absolutely impact movement availability — that’s a non-negotiable. But beyond the shape, there’s something even more important: The nervous system aims to keep us…

5 signs that you are having a hard time moving freely

06 May 2024

When your centre of mass is too far forward, your body will start to compensate — and those compensations will start robbing you of movement freedom, joint mobility, and comfort. Here are 5 key signs that you’re having a hard time managing gravity and therefore not moving very freely: 1. Clenching your toes or fingers/fists If your toes or fingers are clawing or gripping, especially during exercise, it’s a big red flag. Your centre of mass has gone too far…

Golfer’s Elbow – The Do’s & Dont’s

06 May 2024

The names ‘tennis’ and ‘golfer’s’ elbow always make me laugh. The pain is not caused by playing golf or by playing tennis. This is, of course, a movement limitation issue. Let’s break down what’s happening: What is Golfer’s Elbow? With golfer’s elbow, you’ll tend to see people with a valgus elbow presentation. This means the elbow looks more twisted-in and close to the body from the rear view It’s basically the same as a valgus knee (knock-knee) but at the…

Static Stretching: What is Actually Happening?

10 March 2024

Think of that someone that perhaps you see in the gym or in yoga that is super ‘flexible’ and ‘bendy’. Can fold and touch their toes effortlessly without feeling any ‘tightness’ at all. Now does this mean that this person can move well, change shape at the joints, distribute force well, produce force, own great mobility? Probably not. What is happening here is; we probably have someone that has held these end-range stretches regularly for so many years that the…