Fishermen are notorious for having back problems. It is a very physical activity that often requires heavy lifting and carrying heavy things. This can cause issues, however the big issue that has caused back problems for me has been all the sitting. Long drives to fishing locations, long rides on the boat and often a week of sitting in the office waiting to go fishing on the weekend can be the cause of chronic low back pain. When we sit for long periods we get “short’ in the front of the hip which can cause issues in the low back. This week we discuss 3 crucial stretches for taking care of those tight hips. 3The first stretch that I go over I call the helm stretch because I do it while standing at the helm of my boat all the time. You can use anything of the right height to do this stretch. I use two coolers for this example, but it is easy to find a gunnel or lean post on your boat that is the perfect height. The second stretch is the couch stretch. You can do this while you watch TV or with any item about the height of a couch. The third stretch is the lying hamstring stretch. I use any type of strap or band that I can find to do this stretch. All three of these are great ways to avoid or reduce lower back pain, and increase the time that you can spend out on the water.
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