Tech Tuesday

This Tech Tuesday will deal with padding.

More specifically we will look at back pads. The pad shown above is a hard complete spine/back pad. It is a life saver for throwing yourself down stairs. It is also great if you need to take a big impact on your back or need to be hit in the back.

The complete hard pads are a dream to use and can fit snugly to your body while showing up surprisingly little under clothing. They aren't the only option, however. I used a smaller hard pad that covered my lower back, football shoulder pads that protected my shoulders and upper back, motorcycle jackets with the back pad and elbow pads inside the liner, and even a baseball catcher's chest protector worn backwards.

Basically if it is a layer between you and what you are impacting it is your friend.

For the stair falls I did yesterday I had elbow, knee, and hip pads on as well. I did eventually give a backwards roll a shot with no pads at the end of the day. It was a huge rush and surprisingly I came out unscathed (i wasn't so fortunate with the unpadded forward roll). While I will wear pads every chance I get in the professional world, it is good to know that I can go without if needed (stuntwomen often have to do stair falls in heels and mini skirts which lessens the amount of pads they can wear!)

There are plenty of options for a variety of needs so if you can use them don't hesitate, nothing hurts like bruised vertebrae.

Greg