Workout of the Day:
Four rounds for time of:
800 Meter Run
10 Ring Dips
15 Push-Ups
What is Creep?
By Calvin Sun
As you read this blog, think about how you are sitting. Are your shoulders rolled forward and your upper back rounded? Or do you slouch down in your chair letting your lower back round? If so, you might be making life harder for yourself in the gym. Creep refers to the phenomenon in which soft tissues lose their elasticity when held in a sustained position for a long period. Think of your ligaments like rubber bands, if you keep them in a constantly lengthened position they’ll begin to lose their ability to return to their normal shape. In addition, flexing the spine puts pressure on the anterior portion of intervertebral discs, over time the discs can begin to “creep” backwards toward your precious nerves. This can cause pressure on one of the many nerves rooted to the spinal cord, the same nerves that your brain uses to control body movements.
Creep leads to bad posture and less than ideal mechanics in the gym. Take the deadlift for example, the inability to put the lumbar spine into a normal anatomical arch prevents you from being able to safely perform the movement. In addition, your discs are in an extremely vulnerable position for an injury such as disc herniation. Another common example would be overhead movements, a lack of thoracic mobility can lead to a variety of faults like hyperextension of the lower back or thoracic-lumbar hinging. So what’s the best sitting posture to prevent creep? Keep in mind that as little as 20 minutes is all it takes for creep to set in. Try standing up every 20 to 30 minutes to give your strained tissues a break. Dr. Stuart McGill, one of the top spine biomechanists in North America, suggests that the ideal sitting posture is one that continually changes, this prevents any individual tissue from accumulating too much strain. In situations where you are unable to stand up and stretch, like meetings, classes, and driving, consider making postural adjustments (like retracting the shoulder blades) throughout the day. Be consistent and you’ll be rewarded with better posture and improved performance.
Tags: Anatomy/Physiology
I’ll tell you what’s creepy; that naked guy sitting in his ergonomic chair, gazing at his computer (apparently he had just finished doing some heavy construction and raking leaves). Nonetheless, great article Calvin!
~BC
Cal, great article!
I feel like you wrote it just for me!
Thanks, Calvin…I immediately sat up straight!
Aack!! I am straight as a rod now, thanks Callveen!!
I wanted to pass along a really cool organization, founded by my friend and former pentathlon world champion, Kevin Montford. It is called America For Gold, and sponsors athletes in get to the Olympics. If they are not sponsored, it is often hard for them to come up with the funds. Check it out: http://www.americaforgold.org. I just signed up to donate $2/mo…zuper easy.
Have fun with the WOD today, and see everyone Monday!!
Ali,
That IS a cool organization. I agree and think you shoudl check it out. I have a former athlete that I coached who is vying for a spot on the US Olympic Skeleton team and she is using America For Gold. She is getting my $2 a month. There are still many amateur athletes out there that are working their butts off to get the chance to make the olympics. I think many of us don’t realize that anymore due to all of the high profile sports that the networks cover and they could always use a little help.
Cal, great graphics today and how did you take that x-rayted photo of Wink? Gives a whole new meaning to creepy people.
Since the snow is still deep and no running is possible I switched the run to a 1000M row. 18:54 Running would have been much more fun, can’t wait for the thaw!