Hanging on a horizontal bar: what are the benefits for the spine?

The horizontal bar is the most affordable sports equipment for most city dwellers. It can be found on almost every playground or installed independently even in a small apartment. Moreover, people with different physical fitness can exercise on it, since even a child can perform a classic hang on a horizontal bar.

During the day, the spine of an ordinary person experiences enormous stress, which leads to the development of serious diseases. Even at the initial stage, they cause unprecedented discomfort, which reduces the quality of life. Hanging on a horizontal bar makes it possible to get rid of many problems and helps the spine cope with the loads placed on it. But these are not the only advantages of the exercise.

Strengthening the muscle corset

A healthy spine is not only correct posture, but also a strong muscle corset. It helps the vertebrae maintain the vertical position of the body and relieves some of the load from them. But most people have weakened back muscles, and they cannot tone them due to lack of time or simple laziness. For many, due to illness, physical exercises that involve the back muscles are contraindicated, which further aggravates an already difficult situation.

Hanging on the horizontal bar in this case is the only correct solution. It forces the muscles to tense while simultaneously unloading the spine. With regular exercise, the back acquires a natural corset, which prevents the development of serious diseases and softens any stress.

Select a horizontal bar

Exercises on the horizontal bar for osteochondrosis

Many people are susceptible to such a disease as spinal osteochondrosis. This disease causes degeneration of the vertebrae, which often leads to restrictions in movement. If you have been diagnosed with this particular disease and you are going to play sports, then the list of exercises performed should be agreed upon with your doctor.

Among all sports equipment, the horizontal bar is especially popular. Exercises on it are simple and effective, but this does not mean that everyone can practice on the crossbar. For example, pull-ups should not be performed by people suffering from cervical osteochondrosis and obesity. If you break this rule, then such physical exercise can lead to migraines, dizziness and blurred vision. This once again emphasizes that consultation with a doctor before starting exercises on the horizontal bar is mandatory.

Benefits of Stretching

Almost all people with disorders of the musculoskeletal system know that exercises performed on the horizontal bar can be of great benefit. For example, a regular hang on a bar can alleviate your general condition, but the main thing is to do it in accordance with the established rules.

Stretch on the horizontal bar:

Promotes blood flow to the affected areas of the spine;
Saturates vital organs with oxygen;
Reduces back pain;
Makes the spine more flexible and mobile;
Restores damaged tissue;
Relieves muscle spasms;
Reduces deformation to which the musculoskeletal system is susceptible.

If you, being a patient with osteochondrosis, decide to simply hang on the crossbar, you will get great relief, because the distance between the damaged vertebrae will increase and the intervertebral discs will straighten. In addition, regular exercise will restore flexibility to the spinal column and relieve pain. The only thing to remember is that the exercises must be performed in accordance with the recommendations of the attending physician.

How to do pull-ups correctly?

If you are diagnosed with cervical osteochondrosis, then the number of exercises that can be performed on the horizontal bar is limited to half-hanging. In this case, the main goal is to maximize the stretching of the affected vertebrae, so you should pull yourself up while keeping your legs bent. Other rules are:

Hands should be shoulder-width apart and elbows extended;
The most important thing is smoothness and softness of movements, so exclude any rocking;
The body should be raised and lowered at the same time interval;
During the lift, the chest should touch the horizontal bar;
Full straightening of the arms at the elbows is mandatory.

As for full hanging, it should be abandoned for the reason that it puts increased stress on the spine. This can lead to the appearance of a hernia and accelerate degenerative processes.

Useful tips and some conclusions

If you are sick with osteochondrosis and are going to perform exercises on the horizontal bar, then remember the following:

Before major physical activity, do a light warm-up;
The duration of the lesson should not exceed 20 minutes;
While hanging on the bar, do not turn your head;
Avoid too fast and sudden movements;
Avoid exercising on the horizontal bar if you are overweight;
Full hangs are not recommended if you have back problems.

It is worth recalling once again that before starting, as well as at the time of increasing habitual physical activity, you must definitely consult with your doctor and follow the advice he gives.
In addition, do not forget that you can perform exercises on the horizontal bar with osteochondrosis only in cases when there is a period of remission, i.e. there is no pain. If you follow the specialist’s recommendations, you will not only make your spine stronger, but also increase the overall tone of the body. Author: K.M.N., Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences M.A. Bobyr

Let's neutralize the consequences of physical inactivity

The spine suffers both from heavy loads on it and from their absence. Due to the peculiarities of the lifestyle of city residents, most of them are sedentary at home, at work and on the road. This has a negative impact on the back, which responds with pain to any attempts to perform exercises or even walk. If there is such a problem, then the classic hang will help change the situation. In the first days, you can hang for a minimum amount of time, gradually increasing the duration of your stay on the horizontal bar. After just 2-3 weeks of regular exercise, pain in the spine will become a rare occurrence, and a pleasant addition to this will be a surge of vigor and good mood.

Prevalence of osteochondrosis

In Russia, more than half of the cases of disability in the adult population are associated with diseases of the peripheral nervous system. Plus, pain in various parts of the spine imposes significant restrictions on the movement of patients, which reduces the quality of life and creates a chronic negative emotional background.

Risk factors and causes

The prerequisites for the development of osteochondrosis include:

Congenital changes in the spine;
Staying in a stationary or tense position for a long time;
Congenital hypermobility of the spinal column;
Decreased elasticity and endurance of muscles;
Degenerative changes in the musculoskeletal system;
Microtraumas of various parts of the musculoskeletal system.

These conditions become a fertile environment for the development of various disorders in the complex structure of the spine. They do not allow the body to use natural compensatory processes aimed at eliminating the consequences of mechanical impact, as a result of which the disorders become chronic.

The clinical picture of the disease has a fairly wide range from mild discomfort to unbearable acute pain in one or more parts of the spine.

An attack can be triggered by:

Sudden physical stress;
Awkward movement;
Lifting a heavy object;
Hypothermia;
Staying in an uncomfortable position for a long time.

Variety of osteochondrosis

Probably, all types of osteochondrosis are unknown even to specialists. Since the disease forms new forms due to changes in living conditions, the task of scientists is to detect this in time and learn to treat it. Experts know that changes in different parts of the spine are completely different diseases with a separate clinic and therapy.

Hangs or pull-ups

Hanging with advanced osteochondrosis is not recommended - half-hanging, when slightly bent legs touch the floor surface, is more acceptable. This simple technique will significantly reduce the load on the sore spine.

But with cervical osteochondrosis of the spine, half-hanging on the horizontal bar will not bring the desired result, since they are designed to get rid of problems in the thoracic and lumbar regions.

If pain occurs, training should be stopped immediately.

To treat cervical osteochondrosis, kinesiotherapists recommend doing pull-ups on a horizontal bar or hanging upside down on it. The last exercise must be performed extremely carefully and always with safety nets.

When exercising on the horizontal bar, pain is not allowed. If it occurs, training must be stopped immediately.

Before stretching the spine, do a light warm-up, including turning the head, torso, stretching, bending, self-massage of the shoulder girdle, lower back, and neck.

How to do pull-ups correctly?

Let's look at a few pull-up rules:

The crossbar is clasped with your palms facing away from you, your hands are placed shoulder-width apart.
All movements must be performed smoothly.
Raising and lowering are performed in short periods of time.
While lifting, exhale and when your arms extend, you can inhale air.
The elbow joints must be straightened completely.

For convenience, the crossbar is placed in doorways. The height of the horizontal bar needs to be adjusted to increase the load; you can mix the sports equipment higher. The number of pull-ups in one approach corresponds to 10-15 times, after a break you can repeat the exercise. A total of 4-5 approaches are allowed . Gradually the load increases. If you do the exercises under the supervision of a doctor, he will be able to respond to the onset of symptoms.

How often and for how long to hang on the horizontal bar

The hanging time and frequency of classes are determined by the goals set:

To relieve back strain or increase shoulder mobility. Perform three sets of passive hanging for 10 to 60 seconds, with 60 seconds of rest in between. You can additionally rotate your pelvis from side to side, twisting your body. Do the exercise two to three times a day.
To improve your grip strength. Set a timer for five minutes, get into a passive hanging position and hold for as long as you can. Then jump off, shake your arms, and hang back on the bar. Continue until the end of the five-minute interval. Do this exercise once a day, for example in the morning.
To warm up before training. Perform 10 repetitions of alternating active and passive hanging, rest a little and do five repetitions of hanging shoulder rotations forward and backward. Rest again and complete the warm-up on the bar with 10 reps of swinging hangs.
To prepare for pull-ups. Do three to five sets of alternating active and passive hanging 10–12 times. Use in combination with other muscle-strengthening movements: negative pull-ups, pull-ups with an expander, lat pull-downs.

Cervical osteochondrosis and horizontal bar

Why did I highlight this type of osteochondrosis as a separate topic? Because it has its own characteristics, which I would like to focus your attention on. When hanging on a bar, the 6th and 7th vertebrae of your cervical spine are subject to heavy loads, precisely those that are involved in the pain of cervical disease.

And when hanging, they get compressed, which can lead to even bigger problems. Moreover, they can appear even at the initial stage of the disease. What can be done? Hanging upside down! First, find someone who can insure you.

You need to grab the bar tightly with your legs, press your arms to your body and relax. By the way, this option is also useful for thoracic osteochondrosis. After a while, when you feel that the pain has passed and your condition has stabilized, you can try doing pull-ups on the horizontal bar in the usual way.

Additional techniques

Massage can relieve pain or reduce the manifestation of this symptom. Metabolism is stimulated in the area of the displaced disc. The muscle corset is strengthened, inflammation is reduced, and health improves. Swimming is considered one of the most effective ways to provide physical activity to a sore back for therapeutic purposes. Doctors believe that after exercising in the pool, the patient’s spine stretches by about 1-1.5 cm.

The best effect from going to the pool can be achieved by swimming on your back. There is no need to swim in open waters with fast currents, since the load can only be increased . Cold water can aggravate flare-ups, which is why heated pools offer the best properties.

To get results in the fight against the disease, you need to follow the instructions for proper nutrition. You need to eat in small portions, but often. You will have to consume pickles and smoked meats in minimal quantities. At least 30% of the diet should consist of proteins. To strengthen bone tissue you will need a lot of calcium.

Rules for performing hangs

As a preventive measure for sedentary work and at an early stage of osteochondrosis of the lumbar and thoracic regions, a full hang is done. If the disease begins to progress, only half-vis is recommended. Its main difference from the first option is the absence of lifting the legs off the ground.

When performing exercises, you must follow a number of rules:

warm up your muscles with a warm-up (3-5 minutes);
if the horizontal bar is high, use a step or a firmly standing stool;
do not jump onto the bar; the grab must be done while standing.

How to properly use the bar in a full hang:

Place your hands shoulder-width apart and grab the bar with a straight grip (fingers pointing away from you).
Suspend and relax completely.
Feet should not touch the surface.
The head is motionless.

Hold in this state for 30 seconds and stand on a nearby support. Repeat the exercise 2 more times. When performing stretches, relax the thoracic and lumbar spine as much as possible.

Perform half-hangs with a fulcrum, relaxing your legs and allowing your torso to fall down, while keeping your limbs slightly bent. This position allows you to reduce the stretching force, avoid pain and effectively relieve stress on the spine.

On a note. After performing hanging and half-hanging exercises, you need to slowly descend from the horizontal bar. Find a foothold and slowly get to your feet. Jumping from the crossbar is not allowed.

How long do you need to hang for the exercise to be effective? The maximum effect is achieved gradually. Beginners need to start with minimal loads of 30 seconds in 2-3 approaches. Gradually, the traction time can be increased to 15 minutes. As the muscles strengthen and condition improves, exercises are supplemented with slow turns of the body, pulling the knees to the chest.

Prevention and treatment

As a preventative measure, hanging on a horizontal bar for osteochondrosis is quite acceptable. That is, when there are risk factors in the lifestyle that can cause the disease to develop, but there are no acute chondrotic manifestations yet. As for the therapeutic effect of exercises on the horizontal bar for osteochondrosis, medical opinions on this issue vary greatly. Some consider it useful to perform a half-hang, others categorically do not recommend combining osteochondrosis and a horizontal bar, believing that such a combination will only bring harm to the patient. At the same time, doctors use various fairly effective methods of treating osteochondrosis:

Drug therapy is designed to eliminate pain and inflammatory manifestations, relieve muscle spasms, restore tissues destroyed by the disease with chondroprotectors, normalize healthy blood flow that provides adequate nutrition, strengthen the immune system;
Manual therapy or massage enhances metabolism, restores the regenerative abilities of living tissues, and relieves pain;
Physiotherapy speeds up recovery by applying current, ultraviolet light, ultrasound or a magnetic field to the injured area.
Exercise therapy is a universal remedy for all diseases, as it improves well-being, strengthens the muscle frame, and increases a positive emotional background.