#Tuck jumps versus box jumps how to#

The extreme ranges of flexion can also place high levels of stress on the facet joints of the lumbar spine, which can also be quite painful to endure. However, repeated high-intensity and high-speed movements subjecting a flexed lumbar spine to high levels of force can absolutely be irritating or detrimental to the involved tissues.Īssuming that you’ve been doing more than a couple of box jumps and consistently landing with a flexed lumbar spine, the repeated strain on the discs, joints, and other tissues might be rearing its ugly head in the form of discomfort or pain.Įxcessive pressure or downward force on the spine when in a flexed position can be incredibly stressful on the annular fibers of the intervertebral discs, which can weaken the integrity of the disc and lead to disc bulges or herniations. Now, just so we’re clear: in an otherwise healthy spine, flexion of the lumbar spine by itself isn’t necessarily some sort of position that will immediately blow out your back and cripple you. There are numerous reasons as to why this happens (all of which will be discussed in the article), but the result is the same: compromising the integrity of the discs and joints of the lower back, which can range from acute mild irritation to moderate, chronic pain. Let’s start off with the most common mistake of them all: landing with excessive lumbar flexion (rounding) of the lumbar spine. Related article: Six Benefits of Using an Acupressure Mat for Your Aches and Pains Mistake 1: Repeatedly landing in lumbar flexion If your spine isn’t healthy to begin with, or you perform high volumes of jumps with forceful landing positions in lumbar flexion, it can lead to irritation of the intervertebral discs or the facet joints within your lumbar spine.

#Tuck jumps versus box jumps how to#

If you want the full breakdown on how to protect your lower back health with your box jumps, keep on reading!Ĭlick/tap on any headline below to instantly read that section! Thankfully, these issues are often pretty straightforward to clean up and avoid with future jumps. Still, I find the vast majority of otherwise healthy individuals who suffer from back pain after their box jumps are making at least one of these common errors described above. To be clear, there can be various other reasons why your lower back is feeling tweaked from your box jumps. Solutions involve optimizing box height for your jumps, improving landing technique, and improving hip mobility. Lower back pain from box jumps is often the result of landing with excessive lumbar flexion of the spine, landing with excessive force, poor movement mechanics, and poor hip mobility.

So, if your lower back is acting up during (or after) doing some box jumps, you’ll want to read all the insight, tips and solutions packed within this article. But if it’s wreaking havoc on your lower back, the only thing it’s likely to develop for you is pain and misery. The box jump can be a highly beneficial exercise when it comes to developing explosive power, endurance, and even lower body flexibility.