WORST Back Stretch EVER. Stop This Today! Can Cause Back Pain & Sciatica. Do This Instead. (Updated)
Bob & Brad demonstrate alternative ways to stretch your back if you have sciatica.
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You mean those 2 stretches they made us do in school every day? 😣
I’d like to see them evaluate things gymnasts do and how that can lead to problems later in life. I’m an ex gymnast with lots of problems
bob and braaddd… the two most faaaamous.. physical therapist… on the internet
Whoever made that intro is a genius
These guys have such immediate charisma and watchability, I came here for tips stretching properly without hurting my lower back but finished the video feeling very entertained as well as informed.
Bob: if it doesn’t feel good, you don’t do it.
Me: I don’t feel good when I have to go to work..
I am delighted to confirm that for more than 20years as a personal trainer, I was teaching the right way to do exercises and showing my clients the same tricks and tips you are teaching. Fighting against many trends that became popular… thanks for reassuring me☺️ and I just recommended my friends to follow you. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I’m watching Bob and Brad religiously so I can become my own physiotherapist.
Saving money, absorbing dad vibes, and pain relief. What could be better?
I’m a wushu (kungfu) practitioner for over 40 years. Those 2 stretches are fundamental to any flexibility routine in the sport, plus more. Never, ever had, or seen, a problem with it. Love these guys, but I’m scratching my head on this one. Maybe for usually sedentary people, they shouldn’t
Totally agree. I’m a yoga teacher and I did those stretches at first and my low back got so sore. I stopped doing them and instead started strength training. Feel so much better
Thanks for the tip, Bob and Brad. I’ve stopped doing those (bent over) hamstring stretches now. Have switched to doing these safer stretches you show at 5:10 and my hamstrings feel more flexible already. Will definitely keep it up!
So that’s why whenever I tried those stretches especially the sitting one, I can feel pins and needles. I knew it was somehow bad like my nerves must be getting compressed, I’m glad you guys confirmed it in this video. Thank you!!
OMG !! This is CRAZY !! This “worse back stretch” is exactly what I did 2 days ago, and even though I did it gradually, I’m still paying the price for it now. So now I’ve been soaking in hot baths with Epsom Salts, applying DMSO, taking Ibuprofen & lots of antioxidants, and gently doing the acceptable stretching shown here, and hoping and praying for the best.
From the 60s
These videos are awesome. The way these two converse with one another is like watching your 70 year old dad and his 70 year old best friend use the internet for the 1st time.
@SAnnenn Reas = the ” Odd Couple “
I want to thank you both for this video. In my stretching routine each day I was doing it all wrong. The stretch felt great during but after I suffered all day with pain and bedtime was even worse… to the point where sleep was difficult. I couldn’t figure it out because I thought I was doing it right. Yesterday, after watching your video, I changed my routine following your recommendations. No pain all day and last night I slept so much better. Bob and Brad (“the two most famous physical therapists on the internet”) you have helped me time and time again. I always recommend your channel. Thank you so much!
You guys are informative, enjoyable and clinically sharp. I visited my dad and used your videos as part of his exercise routine. As an OT I love what I do and appreciate my fellow therapists. Keep up the great work!!
In your opinion, of course.
If it wasn’t for comment I wouldn’t have been able to sing along.
Thank you.
Its my new fav song
@Jose Lino sorry it’s gonna take a lil more effort for a yes
the day one of them passes will be the beginning of the Rapture.
I’ve had lower back problems (and surgery) since I was 19 and aside shown exercises, child pose (a yoga pose but with hands behind you instead of in front) really gives great relief to my lower back. Try it. I also found out myself that in the gym you can do this upright (still go through your knees) while hanging on to a bar in front of you for even greater stretch of the lower back. Thanks docs!
@Jose Lino “You’re beautiful”
And you’re desperate.
I’ve been doing both of these stretches for several years, almost every day, usually warming up at the gym
After watching this video…
I think I will continue doing them all the same.
Thanks guys 👍
Me too… I started doing these stretches and other ones too a few months ago and my back actually feels a lot better than before. A lot of my back pain has gone away.
@KD Helmert haha, and i do these stretches with even more range
Sitting on floor, 1 leg extended, forehead to the knee, hold 60 seconds. Major stretch for my hamstrings and of course low back too.
I’ve had those stretches prescribed to me by nearly every physio Iv seen since my back surgery (L5) and they feel great.. the seated toe touch one gives a nice full body nerve floss and the standing one offers a nice release.. bare in mind I breathe into these stretches I don’t crank myself into them
I love how you guys just nonchalantly dump our reality upside down by educating us on a fundamental stretch actually being horrible for us. Please don’t stop
yoga locks up your back. 😉
@JD H What do you mean?
@Andrea Freely nevermind.
The exact same one from the head shoulders knees and toes song.
LMAOOO
How about the toe touches I had to do, by order of my surgeon, after my lumbar laminectomy? That was in 1994, though, and things have certainly changed!
@RainbowNebula absolutely. I tried for years to stretch my hams ..only when I started doing quays with weights within a few days the entire back of my legs jsut released its grip and relaxed. It was miraculous. I also got great progress with instead of stretching say my leg out wide to the side..I’d put a pillow there and attempt to squash the pillow…that was also amazing. Stretching really isn’t taught well not in any yoga class ..I had a great ballet teacher when I was little and she taught really well. Also always warm up before stretching. Stretching without warming up is a terrible idea.
UGH
@Stadtjer She is beautiful. It’s truth. And her comment is wholesome. I don’t blame him.
@Mike Walker ah yeah anything that you are competitive in I’d say you have to push your body beyond what is right for you. That’s the nature of competition. I had this amazing ballet teacher as a kid she’s like shifu to me. She also taught yoga and some chi gung that I didn’t know what it was at the time. A few weeks before she died she did an amazing like cirque du soleil yoga show..herself…everyone thought she was in her forties and she was 76 when she died. So I keep her in my heart. She taught me how to feel the limits of my body good pain from bad pain pushing versus going too far. And the the importance of lightness in movement as well. Fluidity and softness in the body. And I use that even when I do weights I’m almost doing tai chi with my movements. Definitely something to be said for the how you do it not what you do. And tai chi seems to have that element too. I really miss those things thank you for reminding of my teacher!
@bina nocht your teacher was a great inspiration
@Mike Walker she was miss Nolan was her name. I only found out years later that we used to do chi gung warm ups… when we were like three or four she had use pretend ee were gorillas beating our thymus gland area which is a chi gun thing. I think it’s energising and then as we got older that turned into tapping d our whole body which I think is called do in .. I have a whole ballet outfit… 42 year old housewife and I sometimes put on the pink tights and black leotard and do some barre work. Lol! Just standing in ballet is a core workout in itself like it’s tough stuff in its own way. Maybe if you put on a tutu you’d get that ballerina feeling of lightness and maybe that would help your back? It’s worth the giggles anyway lol!
@bina nocht that sounds like fun, you’re a similar age to me too, maybe I should try it 😅
Life is pain.
@Chris Medina Jesus. Life is life. Pain is pain. Pleasure is pleasure. During life you may experience some pleasure you may experience some pain. But hope you experience life at some point and not mistake the salt and pepper for the meal.
did they teach you in school to do the stretches like they are doing
They explicitly said it isn’t horrible if you do it right. Do it right.
Now you just need the Addidas track suits
@Joe Williams doing some stretches the wrong way is bad, it can reinforce your bad movement patterns that cause the pain- even if it feels good in the moment, because it is stretching muscles that are tight. It’s just not addressing the cause of tightness.
Same here, and handball also!
they are just wrong
Oh, I love these stretches!! They feel great and I’m keeping them in my life too.
That’s why I work out of my home.
This is why I have never gotten into yoga as conventionally taught. My experience is that without a certain amount of real strength (tense muscles are weak) and specific awareness of the muscles, the success of stretching is kind of hit-or-miss.
This was also going to be my question..especially since the pike position is important for skills (especially in trampolining) and crash landing safety (i.e. flipping into the pit and feet land over head)
Thanks for the laugh out loud moment! I needed that. 👍😂
@Andrew LaFontaine It happens…. Take care. Speedy recovery.
When I was in the gym lifing I didn’t get hurt. It was like I had an Angel on my shoulder for this. (I did do something to my foot using the calf raise.. so I stopped that.
It wasn’t until over a year later that I had some sort of Arthritis attack, took time off. Was still stiff so went to local body building gym instead of mine. I was thrilled to see the tree had the 45 lb plates on top, not the sides.. so I proceeded to remove the plates stacked on to the bar . The guy at the desk offered me help. But hey, what’s a few 45 lb. Plates. More exercise. But I was Stiff… And caught my finger between two 45 lb plates while putting them on the tree. I had no intention to stop what I was doing .. I asked for a band aid.. planned to proceed with my work out. But the man at the desk, said Your not going to bleed all over my gym”. He wouldn’t let me work out. I probably would have been fine. But he gave me my money back. And I left.
Oh, well.
I was never quite the same after that attack. Still don’t know what it was… Guilluan Barre syndrome or something. Anyway, I was pretty strong for a while. But not the same. . Now it baffels me. How on Earth was I able to Handel weight like that???. I walked into the gym not being able to push 20lb machines over my head. And then was able to manipulate 45 lb plates.. easily…
I guess on rep at a time. I loved working out. That was in the 80’s… Haven’t been able to get back. When I was in my 50s I finally lost excess body fat. And wanted to try body building again. But it never happened . They don’t let you get to far with PT… Though I built up strength and flexabilty…for a while.
Now I’m a bigger mess and trying to get out of pain and functioning. It’s been a horriable few years. Need cooperation. Etc.
I recently began watching gymnastics.. fascinating… Are you sure these Younger gymnastics don’t have some sort of implant in them. What I’ve seen is amazing. Supernatural.
You guys.. well at least the current competors are amazing. How do they FLY like that…I’m in awe.
@Siri Wolfberg I never teach the traditional salutations. So many injuries I refuse to teach it. But more injuries come from shoulders in those. Initiate the fold with a bend in your knees then once you are in the fold straighten to your bodies comfort. That will fix what they are referring to in this video.
If they just recommending folding with knees bent it from standing or seated problem goes away.
Lately I’ve been doing a lot of flexibility and mobility exercises and I’m definitely doing both of these exercises and they feel great. I make sure to do spine flexion as well, but I feel a lot better now that I also do spine extension and not only flexion. It feels a lot more whole and natural. My back hasn’t felt this good in a while in all honesty.