Your Natural Armor
Your Natural Armor
By Shane Sauer
Were you aware that you come equipped with a natural armor? It protects two of your most vital organs and is called your rib cage.
If you could choose between a stiff and immobile armor or a flexible and mobile one, what type of armor would you prefer to wear?
Surprisingly, most people choose the stiff and immobile one. In fact, you may have done this too without knowing it!
The part of your spine that the ribs connect to is called your thoracic spine. Because of these attachments, this is naturally the least mobile part of your spine. But limiting its movement can cause:
Low Back Pain
Neck Pain
Reduced Breathing Capacity
Because the thoracic spine is inherently less mobile, you may tend to avoid trying to move it. And when you don’t move an area, your body adapts to make that area more stable. In fact, this is a great video to understand how that process works.
The consequence of this stability is that the adjacent parts of your body have to become more mobile to make up for what you have lost. As your neck and lower back take up this extra motion, they can become overloaded and begin to hurt because of it.
Additionally, a restricted rib cage prevents your lungs from being able to expand as much as they should. This might not matter too much when you’re seated, but as you increase your effort level, you’ll feel the difference.
If you aren’t actively working on mobility for your thoracic spine, chances are you are choosing to live in the stiff and immobile armor.
The good news is that it's never too late to begin switching to a more mobile version. In fact, here are two drills you can use to start this process:
Give these drills a try and then let me know how they go for you.