Data: A study published in 2018 looked at masters rowers in the international community to assess rate and location of injury. They surveyed 743 masters rowers, representing 36 countries, and collected in 2007. Can you guess the body part with the highest prevalence of injury? The low back. How is your core/stretching routine?
Rowers spend a lot of time in lumbar flexion, which is another way of saying they spend time with their spines bent forward. We are in lumbar flexion in the boat, on the erg, in the car, at our desks at work, on the couch and at the dinner table :)
To-do: I suggest spending some time warming up lumbar flexion and extension. Lumbar extension is the opposite of flexion, or a backward bending position of the spine. Here are some (possibly) helpful, and very simple tips:
- Consider warming up your spine before your row: cat / camel, downward facing dog followed by upward facing dog, prone press ups
- Consider getting, or using, a standing desk at work
- Roll up a towel and place it in the small of your back when you are in the car to keep your spine in a neutral position
