Flexibility: Spine Heel to Butt

Spine Hell to butt are simple leg exercises that involve extending your leg away from your body, bending your knee, and sliding your heel toward your buttocks. You can do heel slides using a bed, floor, or wall. They’re often recommended after having a knee injury or knee or hip surgery. You can also use heel slides to prevent and treat low back pain.

The purpose of heel slides is to increase the range of motion of your knee. They also help to strengthen and stretch the tissues around the knee and leg muscles. This is an important part of the recovery process and helps to prevent further injuries.

Read on to take a closer look at how to do heel slides, their benefits, and safety precautions to keep in mind.

There are several heel slide exercises to try. You can do one or more depending on your needs. Each variation will target slightly different muscles.

You’ll want to keep a few things in mind when doing this exercise:

• Slide your heel as close to your buttocks as you can.
• Only bend your knee to a place that is comfortable.
• You may feel slight pressure or a sensation in or around your knee, but it shouldn’t be painful.
• For each exercise, do 1 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Rest for up to 1 minute between sets. Do these exercises at least two times per day.

You can do heel slides on your own or incorporate them into a longer exercise routine. Focus on building strength and stability as well as improving mobility and range of motion. Experiment and choose the variations that bring you the most benefit, which includes relieving pain.

If you’re unsure of the best exercises for your needs, seek advice from a fitness or healthcare professional. Listen to your body and avoid pushing yourself too hard or fast, especially if you’re healing from surgery or injury. As you recover and progress, continue to practice these exercises regularly to maintain your results.

References:

• Behm, David G., et al. "Massage and stretching reduce spinal reflex excitability without affecting twitch contractile properties." Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology 23.5 (2013): 1215-1221.

• Labruyère, Rob, Marion Zimmerli, and Hubertus J. van Hedel. "Slowed down: response time deficits in well-recovered subjects with incomplete spinal cord injury." Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation 94.10 (2013): 2020-2026.

• Patel, Amrish D. "Home Exercise Programs for Lumbar Spine Injuries." Home Exercise Programs for Musculoskeletal and Sports Injuries: The Evidence-Based Guide for Practitioners (2019): 185.