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.

3 comments

3 Comments

val8221mo agoMost Upvoted

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.

umaf441mo 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.

andrew_shah691mo 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.