Intentional Stress Challenge: Deep Squat Hold

Progressive challenge series to develop the skill of deep squat holds while training resilience.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. -Benjamin Franklin

Low back pain is estimated to be the leading cause of disability in the world. An approximate 84% of adults report having low back pain at some point in their lives with risk increasing as one ages. Makes sense when you consider the prevalence of risk factors such as obesity, smoking, poor posture, extended sitting times, and other overlooked or misunderstood ergonomic factors. Even something as simple as sleep position and mattress type can influence lower back health. 

Women and men who sit more than six hours a day are, respectively, 37 percent and 18 percent more likely to die before people who sit less than three hours a day. -Kelly Starrett

What do people typically do in response to pain? First is avoid most things that cause any amount of it. Second is look for medical management, workarounds, or ways to modify an environment to improve comfort rather than focus on behavioral modifications. Treating only the symptom of pain and not the underlying cause leads decreased function and eventual disability. 

The body will become better at whatever you do, or don’t do. If you don’t move, your body will make you better at not moving. If you move, your body will allow you more movement.

-Ido Portal

I know a guy who is pretty good at jiu jitsu with many years of experience. His grappling style is often fighting from the bottom requiring use of his legs to manage distance. He also specializes in attacking the joints of the lower body meaning he works to create pressure on his opponent’s knees or ankles leading to submission which can leave his own legs vulnerable to a counterattack. He has “bad” knees though, so he avoids working out in any way that requires squatting… makes sense when you don’t think about it… Knowing your physical and functional limitations due to pain or perceived capability offers a starting point in the opportunity that is improved performance, decreased pain, and injury risk prevention.

The foot bone's connected to the leg bone. The leg bone's connected to the knee bone. The knee bone's connected to the thigh bone. The thigh bone's connected to the hip bone. The hip bone's connected to the backbone. The backbone's connected to the neck bone.

-Dem Bones aka The Skeleton Dance

Our body structurally evolved to optimize support of each area. Everything is interconnected. Weakness or injury in one location, increases the likelihood of weakness or injury in adjacent or complimentary areas. Like compounding interest, failure to effectively resolve mobility, strength, or functional issues only leads to downstream larger problems resulting in disability, disease and required medical management. 

Simple, not easy, solutions, that are almost always cost-free, are the best ways to reverse chronic joint or back pain. A symptom like back pain, is a signal that there are behavioral modification opportunities in your life. Something as simple as sitting less, not allowing yourself to rest against the backs of chairs to encourage proper posture and muscle support or sleeping on a different surface (most likely harder and preferably on your back) can relieve back pain by addressing the root cause. Life, however, is going to continually put us in tough situations including physical ones. Back pain, at some point, is inevitable in most of our lives despite attempts at optimizing our posture when sitting, lifting or sleeping.