Go Back, Way Back, Fall Back.

You’ve heard this before? Sometimes a teacher will say it in class. This time of year you definitely see it on social media trying to remind folks to set their clocks back. Go back, way back, fall back, is maybe a good little piece of encouragement, but also needs to be practiced carefully.

Its an instruction you might hear in back bending or extension. So, in back bending there is spinal extension and hip extension. The idea of go back, way back, fall back is that both are happening at the same time. But practicing them separately is so useful, and when put together, will be stronger, deeper, and more controlled.

Here is spinal extension. When standing, the spine extends by bringing the ends (head and butt) toward each other.

Here is hip extension. The angle on the front of the hip gets larger. When standing, practicing hip extension only is safer for the spine if the head stays over the hips.

Here is hip extension only (mostly) with head behind the hips. This can sometimes be the result of go back, way back, fall back.

Try breaking down these movements, and see how it goes. Big basic movements like go back, way back, fall back, are always made up of some smaller basic, or maybe complicated, movements. Understanding them, will make more complicated movements more clear when you get there. Happy practicing!