Last week I wrote about how mastering the hinge and deadlift exercise is one of the most important things you can do if you have a “bad back.”
Another useful exercise to master to help combat low back pain is the Single Leg Hip Hinge or single leg rdl.
The single leg rdl is simply the hip hinge, or the top portion of the deadlift done on one leg.
This exercise is NOT as transferable to everyday life like the deadlift is, as you’re unlikely to balance on one leg to bend over and pick something up. It is however an extremely powerful exercise that helps you build strength, but more importantly you can use it as a diagnostic tool.
The single leg rdl can help you uncover discrepancies and imbalances in strength, flexibility, and stability that exist within the musculature of your hips, knees, and ankles.
Again speaking in terms of lumbar pain, the most common dysfunction I encounter with clients is under-functioning glutes on the same side that back pain exists.
Other imbalances you might discover during the single leg rdl include:
- Over-dominant/tight musculature in the low-back that creates over-extension in the lumbar spine during the upward phase of the movement. This is often the direct cause of back pain when bending over to pick something up. This localized extension in the spine from overly dominant muscle creates localized pressure on potentially injured discs and the surrounding nerves.
- Finding one hamstring tighter than the other.
- Instability in one ankle and/or a dropped arch in one foot.
- The occasional valgus knee positioning (knee inwardly rotating).
Any one of these imbalances can negatively impact your ability to properly perform a deadlift which Part 1 of this article series highlighted as one of the best exercises to help with your low back pain.
Most of these strength, flexibility, and stability imbalances that are discovered during the single leg hip hinge go unnoticed during the deadlift. During the deadlift the opposing side of the body essentially picks up the slack.
However by removing one leg from the movement these imbalances can rear their head.
The instabilities you discover during the single leg rdl might require specific stretches, myofascial work, and strengthening, but the single leg rdl itself is actually a great exercise to counteract many of the problems you might uncover.
This means if you struggle to maintain ankle stability during the single leg rdl, or you struggle to feel your glute engage on one side, you can often times use the single leg rdl as the correction.
When you first perform this exercise consider using a railing, chair, or piece of equipment to help with the balance portion of the equation.
Understand your body will naturally deviate from proper form if you have imbalances. Moving slowly and purposefully can give over-tight tissue time to stretch, and under active muscle an opportunity to better engage.
Improving any of these imbalances can directly improve your ability to perform the deadlift, and therefore daily movement patterns. As discussed in Part 1 of this article series, these daily movement patterns have an enormous impact on your “bad-back!”
Don’t give up on getting back to doing the things you love just because you’ve got a “bad-back.”