Bending Like Barbie

One of the hardest things to teach students is to bend by hinging at the hips. Most people mistakenly believe that rounding the back and bending at the waist is proper motion in a forward bend. This movement, however, just allows the body to compensate and avoid stretching the hamstrings and find length in the lower back. In fact, tight hamstrings and inflexible low backs are the reason so many can't hinge at the hips, so attention to this tiny detail is very important to stop the vicious circle of inflexibility in both areas.

Often I have students place their first to fingers on the hip flexor so they can feel where the forward bend should originate, but I haven't yet run across a good visual to describe the movement until I read an article in The Globe and Mail about stretching and osteoporosis.

People suffering from thinning or porous bones are between a rock and a hard place where yoga is concerned. Yoga can help but it can also hurt. Mindfulness is key always but never more so than for those with osteopenia or osteoporosis.

The article provided Barbie as an example for remembering to hinge at the hips - which places the spine in much less jeopardy than rounding and bending at the waist.

A Barbie doll has to bend at the hips. She isn't built with a flexible waist after all and therefore is a good model for the forward bend.

Bend like Barbie for back safety!