The expression Neutral Spine refers to the natural curves of the spine including a slight kyphotic curve (a gentle forward “hunch”) to the upper back, with curves in the opposite direction,  and lordotic curves at the neck and lower back.

A neutral spine isn’t really something we stay in, it’s a moment in time that we pass through in motion. As much as I understand the need to teach people to engage the muscles around the spine, trying to force neutral isn’t that helpful, because you can’t stay there. You might be able to manage it lying down on the floor or kneeling upright but the second you take a step or squat and hinge your spine will move and that’s okay, it’s supposed to move.

Learning to brace and breath correctly is a massively important part of training, but don’t stress out if you sometimes don’t have this perfect sculpture-like posture when you train. We’re all built differently and for some people forcing “neutral” could actually cause tension and discomfort. Staying too neutral and rigid can lead to people overarching, holding their breath and working through the pain.

The spine is designed to flex and extend, to flex and rotate laterally. Yes, under heavy loads, in the gym, you don’t want to start twisting and flexing, but under a light load, you might find it useful.  It’s important to start listening to your body; don’t be afraid of a bit of a rounded spine in certain exercises. 

It’s also common for people to think that the best way to fix their “bad posture” is to sit like a robot in “neutral”. This is fundamentally wrong. Give your body full expression of movement in all directions and allow the joints to find their natural resting point. Don’t force it yourself, that simply will not work. Movement always wins!

Stay tuned next week for another instalment of Master the Basics and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram where I share exercise techniques, and show you how to maximise your training. I hope you enjoyed this blog post, if you have any questions I host a weekly Sunday Q&A session on my Instagram channel. Otherwise, please feel free to email me at andy@andyvincentpt.com. 

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