Backbends are renowned for being some of the most challenging postures in the yoga asana catalogue. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of books on the spine. One in particular, Your Spine, Your Yoga by Bernie Clark, goes into great detail on how backbends affect individual spinal vertebrae. No two spines are the same, every one is unique. But the depth of one's backbend isn't what I am writing about here. This is about having spent many years rehabilitating my own spine, which has been shaped by sitting at a computer for eight hours a day.
Spinal disc degeneration typically begins in our thirties, and by 40, around 40% of people already show signs of it (1). By the time we reach 59, a third of us have moderate to severe disc disease, and from 60 onwards, that number climbs sharply again (2). These are the years when many of us hope to finally have the time and freedom to travel, trek the mountains, hike the hills, swim in the lakes, and enjoy the lifestyle we've been waiting for. Yet this is precisely when our spines work against us the most. Often what follows is an onslaught of pain, stiffness, and NHS appointments.
Most office workers spend up to 75% of their day sitting down (3), and over half of UK workers report suffering from back pain as a result (4).
Part of the problem starts with how we sit in the first place. Most people collapse back onto their tailbone rather than sitting on their sit bones, the two bony points at the base of the pelvis designed to bear our weight. Over time, this tips the pelvis backwards, flattens the natural curve of the lower spine, and increases compression through the discs. It also becomes a loop: tight abdominals and hamstrings help pull the pelvis into this position, which is exactly why it rarely corrects itself without consistent, conscious retraining.
Sitting for hours at a time also holds your hip flexors in a shortened position. Research has found hip flexor shortening in over 60% of people with low back pain (5). The longer those muscles stay short and tight, the harder it becomes to fully open the hips and extend the spine.
This isn't really about age though, nor is it about how deep your backbend is. It's about use. Years of sitting rounds the spine forward, locks up the hips, and pulls the shoulders in. It happens slowly, most of us don't notice until we try to reach, extend, fold forward or twist and find we simply can't. Locked into a turtle back, this also restricts the diaphragm and the way we breathe (6). And when breathing becomes shallow and restricted, it can keep the body in a heightened, stressed state, affecting our mood, anxiety and overall energetic outlook (7).
The good news is, it's reversible. Yoga postures enable energy to flow and help heal areas of the body affected by physical weaknesses we may have. Two of the main reasons it may be difficult for us to make certain shapes with our bodies are tension and compression. Tension comes from areas in the body like fascia, connective tissue, or the muscles can certainly be areas of tension, and is treatable over time with consistency. Compression however, exists in the absence of tension, it is our anatomical bone structure that prevents us from making a certain shape with our body. This is exactly why everyone's backbend or indeed yoga postures will be different.
The years you're sitting through now are the very years that decide how freely you'll move through the years you're waiting for.
If this resonates with you, I would love to hear from you, and to help you create a meditative yoga practice built on dedication and discipline, online or in person, but in the meantime, check out how you are sitting right now and for how long!?
Thank you for your enquiry. A typical response with be within 24hrs. Deborah
Please note: the information shared through this site and in our conversations is offered as general guidance and personal experience, not medical advice. If you have any health concerns or injuries, please check with your GP or healthcare provider before starting a new practice.
Your contact details are kept private and are never shared with third parties, in line with UK data protection law. They are used only to respond to your message and, if you choose, to keep you updated on classes and workshops.
Thank you for your attention.
Deborah
REFERENCES
1. Liv Hospital, “Disc Degeneration Age Facts”
2. Hebrew SeniorLife Institute for Aging Research / Boston Medical Center, Framingham Study, published in The Spine Journal
3. Buckley JP et al., cited in “Excessive Occupational Sitting: A Review of The Risks”
4. ChairOffice survey, “Deadly Desk Jobs: How To Reduce The Time You Sit”
5. “Hip Flexors Shortening among Patients with Low Back Pain,” American Journal of Health, Medicine and Nursing Practice
6. “Effects of forward head posture on forced vital capacity and respiratory muscles activity,” PMC (National Institutes of Health)
7. “Understanding how shallow breathing fuels anxiety and disrupts mental health,” Scott Free Clini