Your new decompression routine
The Fit to Farm column offers practical, evidence-informed strategies to reduce injury risk, improve mobility and build strength that supports the realities of life on the farm.
Life on the farm often comes with one of two things: endless movement or endless driving.
Whether you’re caring for livestock or seeding the fields, your body is working for you. And on planet earth, we are always in a relationship with both ground and gravity. This means that anytime we are upright, whether seated or moving, our joints are experiencing some form of compressive force. This isn’t inherently a bad thing, but it can be a factor in common complaints, such as tension, stiffness and some forms of pain.
All bodies appreciate a little intentional decompression as part of a healthy routine. If the goal is to stay active and “fit to farm” for as long as possible, in a sustainable way, adding some decompressive practices to your day-to-day life can go a long way.
While we can’t technically ever escape the effects of gravity, we can use it to our advantage. Creating space in the body means approaching our relationship with gravity differently. No, you don’t have to spend time upside-down to get the benefits of decompressive movement (though inversion practices and tables have their place).
Movement that supports decompression doesn’t need to be complicated. What I find most helpful for many people is to simply spend time in positions that don’t require the body to hold itself up. This can be as easy as lying on your back with the knees bent and feet resting on a stable surface. Knees bent and feet supported is important for many people as it takes muscular tension away from the back, hips and legs — kind of like taking the tension off a spring.
Spending two to 10 minutes in this position can feel quite lovely for the spine and hips. Add slow, gentle side-to-side knee sways to double down on benefits for hip joints and the pelvic floor. Gently rocking the pelvis forward and backward can also help. The neck can benefit from movement, too, through rotations or tuck releases, or let your head rest on the floor or on a pillow.
Notice how your body wants to move here and see if you can follow. Or, perhaps, stillness is enough. Gentle breathing in a consistent rhythm (equal length of breath in and out) helps the nervous system settle, which, in turn, allows more spaciousness throughout the body.
The other movement I like to use for gravity-impacted body zones, such as the spine, is what I call “spinal rolls.” From a standing position, begin to slowly roll your body forward. Start with the head, then neck and slowly roll your way down toward the floor in a forward fold. Bend the knees as much as you need to eventually place your fingertips on the ground. Allow your head and torso to be relaxed. Use gravity to your advantage here, allowing the body to be in traction toward the ground using the upper body as your anchor. Reach the tailbone to the sky. Breathe and slowly roll back up, starting with the tailbone, then your spine, shoulders, neck and your head will be the last to stack upright. Repeat this for five to six rounds daily.
Spinal rolls mobilize the entire central nervous system through its soft tissue pathways. You’ll likely find that after a few rounds you seem to be taller! It’s a nice one-size-fits-all movement, though if you’ve recently experienced injury to any part of your spine, this movement might be too much if you’re still in the early stages of healing. This shouldn’t be painful!
After a long day on the farm, even a few minutes of intentional decompression can reset your body for a good rest before the next day starts. As always, check with your health care provider if pain or joint limitation is getting in the way of your daily function. Professional guidance can be invaluable to get you back to the life you prefer.
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