Bending over and picking things up is one of the most basic human movements — something we should all be able to do without fear,overthinking or hesitation. Yet, how we bend has become a surprisingly controversial topic. Some lean toward the ultra-cautious advice to “keep your spine neutral at all times” and avoid bending and lifting altogether. Others swing to the opposite extreme, suggesting we can move however we like, no matter what. Then there is the old adage of lift with your legs.
As with most things, the truth likely sits somewhere in the middle of all those. What’s often missing from the conversation is a clear understanding of what’s actually happening in the spine when we bend.
When you bend forward, your lower back, the lumbar spine, doesn’t fold dangerously forward as some people imagine. Instead, it transitions from its natural standing backward curve (a soft “C” shape) to a straighter position, more like an “I.” So lumbar flexion is actually more about straightening than true forward bending.
This distinction matters. It helps challenge the common fears and inaccurate language around spinal movement, especially for those who’ve been told they have a “glass back” or that they’re compounding damage every time they pick something up. Understanding that this movement is normal and not inherently harmful can go a long way in building confidence and reducing unnecessary fear.
There’s also a lot of confusion about spinal discs and what happens to them when we bend. The popular donut analogy — where the disc is thought to “squish out jam” when we bend — doesn’t really hold up.
Discs are far tougher than that. They behave more like durable tyres filled with dense material than fragile crumbly pastries. While bending forward does increase pressure toward the front of the disc, this is normal and isn’t automatically damaging. In most peoples joints, muscles, organs, tendons and ligaments, pressures in the body increase robustness and effectiveness, they can be positively stimulating. We don’t see the changes or injuries some outdated theories have predicted, even when studied under imaging.
In fact, genetics, general health and physical activity levels appear to have a much stronger relationship with disc issues than posture or how you lift. Movement isn’t something to avoid — it’s something to understand, encourage, adapt and build confidence in.
Here are some proven and well evidenced and substantiated facts about disc, did you know any of these?
– a herniated disc doesn’t stay that way
– discs change, this is a proven back fact
– your disc status from even one year ago will be different, but your brain may become very efficient as still sending a valid pain signal
– disc re absorption/resorption phenomenon was categorically proven in 1990. It is absolutely not a life sentence
– tissue status (including bone/disc) is one of the least prevent or likely correlation to fuel your back pain
So rather than fearing flexion or over correcting posture with rigidity, it’s more helpful to encourage comfortable, confident movement and to trust the strength and adaptability of the human body — even if it’s been nonsensically and incorrectly labelled “glass.”
