Do contortionists get back injuries from doing all that bending??

Question:HOW do they avoid it!?!? I was just watching some contortion on youtube and WOW!! How do they keep from breaking their spine?? CAN the human spine bend that far naturally (after all the muscles around it are flexed of course)???? Do they do soemthign to their spine while training in order to do that?!? WHOA! How do they keep from hurting themselves??

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: HOW do they avoid it!?!? I was just watching some contortion on youtube and WOW!! How do they keep from breaking their spine?? CAN the human spine bend that far naturally (after all the muscles around it are flexed of course)???? Do they do soemthign to their spine while training in order to do that?!? WHOA! How do they keep from hurting themselves??

it takes work, I've read contortionists have to start before puberty, something about the spine being more flexible in childhood so it's easier to get the muscles to extend to far.

In Mongolia, it's a national art form, they start training kids from infancy practically.

They are naturally flexible.

just alot of training i guess and also i LOVE your icon thingy i love Pon and Zi (thats there names)

I know what you mean. I'm pretty flexible but what they do is just amazing! Like any other sport, you are going to get injured/get sore. But they do intense warm ups before they attempt this to avoid that. Natural flexibility plays a big role too. The people you were watching has probably done it for years and years as well.

But no, they don't do anything to their spine-they are just REALLY flexible.

Great question! Hope this helps :)

wonder if they ever get arthritis?

well they would have to train alot. Not only that but they have to stretch like every day. They would have to ease themself to extreme flexibility. and then there are the few who are born flexible. so really flexibilty is all it is
p.s. som might get some back injories if they are not extreamly carefull