I finally figured out a stretch that saves my back in the hot shop

I used to jump straight into working with the glass. My lower back would be killing me by lunchtime. Another blower taught me a quick twist stretch for my spine. Now I do it before every session and the pain is gone. It's made my time at the torch so much better.

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3 Comments

val8227mo ago

Totally get this. My back used to lock up all the time after hours at my bench. Stubbornly refused to stretch for years because it felt like a waste of good work time. Finally tried just bending over and letting my arms hang loose for a minute before starting. Such a dumb simple thing, but it changed everything. Now that minute is non-negotiable.

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umaf447mo ago

That "stubbornly refused" part hits home. I was the same with my legs after sitting in class all day, just WOULD NOT move until they felt like wooden posts.

5

andrew_shah697mo ago

My old boss swore by that stretch for ten years. He still ended up needing surgery for a herniated disc last fall. Sometimes the damage is already done no matter what you try.

3