Low back pain in fishermen usually comes from tightness in the front of the hips caused by sitting, and three stretches — the helm stretch, the couch stretch, and a lying hamstring stretch — can avoid or eliminate it. We sit driving the boat, sit in the truck to the ramp, and the weekend warriors sit at a desk all week. Everything in the front gets tight, it attaches in the back, and back pain is the result. In this Physical Friday I demonstrate all three stretches, two minutes per side.
Watch now: press play above, or listen in the player on this page.
Because we sit so much. We sit down driving the boat, we sit in the car on the way to the fishing spot, and weekend warriors sit at a desk all week waiting to go fishing. In that seated position, everything in the front of the hips gets tighter and tighter, and because all of that tissue attaches in the back, back pain is the result.
The helm stretch uses something about lean-post height — the lean post itself, two stacked coolers, a desk, or the gunnel of the boat. Put one foot up behind you on that surface, keep your butt tight, and extend up. You feel the pull through the front of your quad and all up through the hip. Hold for about two minutes, then switch sides. If you are really flexible, your heel can come back to your butt as the front of the hips opens up.
The couch stretch is a different way into the front of the hips, named because you can do it while watching TV. Put your foot up on the couch (or a cooler), put that knee on the ground, and stay up high and tight with your butt squeezed. How close the knee sits to the couch depends on your flexibility. You feel it stretching all down the front of the hip. Two minutes per side.
Lie on your back, bend your knee, loop a band — any band or strap works — around your foot, and straighten the leg up. Pull it toward you with the knee straight, and you feel it from your hamstring all the way to where it connects at your butt. Hold about two minutes per side. When your hamstrings are tight, everything is tight.
About two minutes per side, both legs, and ideally a couple of times a day. On the water, get into the helm stretch position while you are waiting for a bite instead of just sitting down. Go easy at first — if a stretch is too much, back off slightly and ease into it.
They have gone a long way for me. Lots of fishermen have back problems, I have had plenty myself, and these three exercises helped me loosen everything in the front so it relieves pressure on my back. Give them a try for about two minutes each, go easy at first, and you will gain flexibility and mobility, the pain will fade, and you will help prevent it from coming back.
Here is the routine I demonstrate in the video.
The pain shows up in your low back, but the cause lives in the front of your hips. Sitting shortens everything on the front side, that tissue attaches in the back, and as it gets tighter and tighter the back takes the strain. Once you understand that, the fix becomes obvious: open the front. I explain the whole mechanism in the episode, so press play above.
The reason I named one of these the helm stretch is that I do it while driving the boat — the lean post is right behind me at the perfect height. Two coolers stacked up work just as well, and so does the gunnel. The point is that you do not need a gym or a mat. The day has built-in waiting time, and that is when I stretch. Watch the on-boat setup in the video — press play above.
Being a professional fisherman is tough on the body and tough on the back, and nobody — professional or recreational — wants low back pain. I would not wish it on anybody, and I have had plenty myself.
Give these three stretches a try, about two minutes each per side. Go easy at first, build the flexibility and mobility, and that back pain will go away and stay away. Press play above to see all three demonstrated.
helm stretch · couch stretch · hamstring stretch · hip flexor mobility · low back pain · stretching with a band · Saltwater Experience · Physical Friday
Physical Friday is my weekly fitness series for fishing guides, anglers, hunters, and outdoorsmen — the training, nutrition, and mindset to stay in the game for life. Watch and listen to every Physical Friday episode from Tom Rowland.
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's Physical Friday series I share the workouts, nutrition habits, and mindset tools that keep guides, anglers, hunters, and outdoorsmen strong on the water and in the field for life.
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