I learned this many years ago and it was a hard thing for me to change but I am very happy I did and it has worked out much better for me.

 

I came across some research which revealed something that has become very important to me and to this day dictates when I work out.

 

Follow along here:

 

The spine is made up of bones called vertebrae. These bones protect our spinal cord and nerves. In between the bones is a gel-like structure called an Intervertebral disc or IVD. This disc acts as a shock absorber and consists of a high percentage of fluid.

 

All day long we are bending, twisting, turning, lifting which causes compressive loads on the discs. This loading gradually pouches fluid out of the discs and they become to a certain degree dehydrated temporarily.

 

We then sleep at night and the disc gets offloaded. It is during this time the body's resting and repairing and the disc are becoming dehydrated once again (hopefully) more about that later. Anyways, this rehydration process causes the spine to temporarily become a little more tight and stiff in general when we first wake up in the morning. This is why you feel stiff and tight at first and then after a few hours more flexibility and can move easier. Side note: this is also why we are the tallest in the mornings :)

 

So , who cares?

 

Well, as your discs rehydrate they are much more stiff and a lot less flexible. This then significantly increases your chances of injury first thing in the morning. Bulging, herniated and protruded discs have a very high prevalence of occuring in the morning times. This is when the jelly-like substance in the discs gets so compressed that it causes the gel to push out and upon the spinal nerves and leaves you in a world of hurt sometimes curled up on the floor in fetal position going through your favorite eist of four letter words.

 

So here are a few guidelines to avoid this and some things not to do within the first hour of waking:

 

1. Try not to bend over much at all. (Avoid flexion) activities and "stretches" like touching your toes and bending forward to pick objects up, putting on your shoes while bent over first thing in the morning.

 

2. No heavy weight lifting, running, jumping, ballistic and quick movements as this increases the compressive loads within the spine and is the perfect recipe for disaster to strike.

 

3. Avoid sitting right away if possible as this causes a 35% increase in spinal compression compared to standing or lying flat.

 

I'll share with you in another post what my morning routine looks like and why. It may be surprising :)