Scoliosis: which exercises help and What Hurts?
Why "Just Move More" Is Bad Advice
When you have scoliosis, not all movement is medicine. In fact, many popular fitness trends and rehabilitation exercises can actually feed your dysfunction. Because your spine is twisted and curved, applying generic forces to it often exacerbates the very imbalances you are trying to fix. To improve your condition, you need to stop guessing and start training with biomechanical precision.
The Trap of Traditional "Correction"
Most people with back pain or curvature are told to do two things: stretch and strengthen their core. Here is why those common methods often fail:
Static Stretching: Stretching an already unstable spine can destabilize it further. If you have "tight" muscles, they are often holding you together. Releasing that tension without building new structure can lead to pain and further collapse.
Symmetrical Lifting: Deadlifts and squats are great for symmetrical bodies. But if you have scoliosis, your body is inherently asymmetrical. Loading a twisted structure with heavy, symmetrical weight will simply reinforce your twist, making your strong side stronger and your weak side weaker.
Crunches and Sit-ups: These exercises create compression. For a spine that is already compressed by smooth gravity and rotation, adding more compressive force is the last thing you need.
Why Symmetry Fails an Asymmetrical Body
Imagine a building that is leaning to the right. If you add heavy sandbags at the top, equally to both sides, the building doesn't straighten out - it collapses faster under the weight. Your body works the same way. You cannot squat your way out of curvature. You need exercises that specifically address the rotation and lateral shifts unique to your body.
The Functional Patterns Alternative
At FP Sydney our approach is not to guess, it’s to assess. Our exercises are designed to:
Prioritize Rotation: We use precise, often asymmetrical movements to unwind the twist in your spine.
Build Tension, Don't Release It: Instead of stretching muscles into laxity, we tension the underactive muscles to pull your skeleton back into neutral alignment. From there we want to introduce corrective exercises.
Integrate with Walking: We don't just train you on the floor. We look at how you walk. By correcting your gait cycle, we ensure that every step you take reinforces a straighter, more functional spine.
Stop Guessing with Your Spine
If your current workout routine leaves you in pain or you aren’t seeing visual improvements in your posture, it’s time to change specific methods.
Ready to learn what your body actually needs? Book your Functional Patterns assessment and start training for results.
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