Did you know that most people bend over without using their knees? In fact, when many of us pick-up something, we bend from our waists and hardly bend our knees bend at all. We do not have any joints in the waist to speak of. In fact, all of the spinal vertebras are distortion joints that are designed to twist and turn, not created for wholesale habitual bending over. Habitually bending over from the waist puts tremendous pressure on our backs and can cause neck and lower back pain. Lifting up from the waist is like lifting half of our body weight every time we straighten up.

 

The next time you pick up something, even a glass of water off a coffee table, stop just before you grasp the glass and ask yourself if you feel any pain and where. Then ask yourself, “Am I allowing my knees to bend?” If not, think of hinging from the hips and allowing the knees and ankles to flex as well.

Remember as a child when one of your friends would come up behind you and knock the back of your knees forward with the front of their knees? Your knees released then, didn’t they.

We are designed to hinge with our hips, KNEES and ankles. The knees work in concert with our hip joints and ankles.
Try the following:
While standing simply allow your knees to bend and you will see that the hips and ankles automatically bend as well. And many people can actually allow their knees to bend more fully then they normally do.
Best of all study the Alexander Technique and unlearn all those unsustainable habits so you can move freely again.