The canvas apron, a traditional workwear item used in Japan for a long time, is made of sturdy fabric and a sash to securely fasten around the waist.
At the same time as "feelings tightened,"
"It protects your back when carrying heavy objects."
"When I wear it, my back doesn't hurt as much."
There is an old saying that goes like this.
For this reason, it has been used by workers in occupations that require carrying heavy objects, such as liquor stores, rice stores, and lumber stores.
Is that really true? And where should you tighten your muscles for the best results?
Let's ask an expert! So we went to talk to Dr. Ishizaka, a judo therapist who runs Ishizaka Osteopathic Clinic in Chofu, Tokyo!
By tightening the apron, "it won't hurt your back even if you carry something heavy" and "it protects your back", etc.
I've been asking this question for a long time, but from your perspective, what kind of results can we expect from this?
Dr. Ishizaka: To conclude, when you wear an apron, it puts pressure on your abdominal area, so it seems like what people in the past said was correct: "It helps prevent back pain when carrying heavy objects."
By tightening the ilium, the waist tightens and abdominal pressure is applied. This activates the muscles and "stabilizes the hip joints." For this reason, I think aprons are good for the waist.
Dr. Ishizaka: When it comes to choking, first of all, it's about the position. It's the part above the pelvis called the ilium. For men, it's right around the "belt".
Squeeze your waist bones tightly, which are the most protruding part of your body, above your hip bones.
Q: For men, it's a little lower than where they would wear their belt!
Dr. Ishizaka: That's right. There is also a method of tightening the pelvis a little lower (3-4 cm below the ilium: about 2 fingers below), which is also effective.
For example, if you have just given birth, you can tighten your pelvis while doing housework. If your pelvis is tight, your hip joints will also be more stable.
You can wear it around your ilium, almost like a belt, or around your pelvis (3-4 cm below your ilium). There are two positions to choose from depending on your purpose.
Ishizaka Sensei: Take a deep breath and squeeze lightly when you exhale a little. On the other hand, it is effective to squeeze the pelvic belt when you inhale and exhale completely, but you don't need to do that with the apron. It's best to inhale, exhale lightly, and then squeeze. If you apply too much abdominal pressure, it will change its purpose.
Another basic thing is to tie it tightly in front when you turn it from back to front.
Q: I get it! So you inhale and then exhale lightly to tighten it!!!
Professor Ishizaka: To sum up once again, hook it as close as possible to your ilium, or to your pelvis (3-4 cm below your ilium), inhale, exhale lightly, circle it around, and tie it in front. This is the key.
Dr. Ishizaka: Pelvic belts come in a variety of shapes and types depending on where you want to tighten them, but with an apron, you can get different effects just by changing the position where you tighten it.
Also, unlike a pelvic belt, it doesn't get stuffy even when you wear it, which is great.
Even so, people in the past really thought things through. The idea of wearing aprons, which have been around since the Edo period, makes sense.
Q: Thank you for today!
Professor Ishizaka: No, no. I'm glad I could be of help.
So, here are three things I learned today!
1. The place to tighten it is around the "belt"! Tighten it around the protruding hip bone called the ilium.
2. When tightening, inhale (and exhale a little) and tighten the front.
3. For women (especially those after childbirth), tightening the pelvis slightly below the ilium can also be effective!
So it seems that it is true that it "reduces the burden on your lower back."
It seems that aprons are filled with the wisdom of people from long ago!
*Note: Of course, there will be individual differences, and there is no guarantee that wearing an apron will cure your back pain, so please be careful not to make any mistakes when wearing one.
The person we spoke to this time was Dr. Ishizaka, a judo therapist whose clinic is located in Chofu City, Tokyo, a 12-minute walk from Chofu Station, next to the Maruetsu supermarket.
They specialize in treating the lower back, neck, etc., so please come and visit.
TEL 042-497-6622
(Article by Nishimura)
