Posture and lower back pain

During wrestling class today we were working basic lifts. My partner, 10 kgs heavier than me, was straining his lower back to lift me. We’re constantly told to lift with our legs not our backs, but what does this mean? One of the key detail we need to look at is pelvis rotation. An incorrectly rotated pelvis puts extra strain on the spine and causes a loss in strength.

I use to think my posture was okay, but then I read Esther Gokhale’s excellent book and realised that my posture was not good at all. Despite the name, this book is really about correct posture. Read this book. There is lots of information that can be transferred to grappling.

Most chairs are terrible for your posture. If you spend lots of time sitting then you want a chair that doesn’t hinder your posture. I use a saddle stool and the twinges I used to get in my lower back have disappeared. They can be a little hard to find, but they’re worth it.

This type of chair is great for improving your posture