Pilates Class To Strengthen And Increase Flexibility In Our Back And Eliminate Pain.

Back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical care. For some, it’s a constant or chronic condition, one that’s aggravated by our sedentary lifestyles. 90% of us will suffer from at least one episode of back pain during our lives, and that figure is expected to rise. Pilates is often recommended to those with back pain because it strengthens the core, a band of muscle that supports the back much like the weightlifting belts used by powerlifters. Pilates also stretches and strengthens the hips, further stabilizing the lower backImprinting is used to mobilize and stabilize the spine. To begin, lay on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Maintain a natural curve in your back (neutral spine). As you exhale, corset the abdominal muscles and imagine dropping the vertebrae one at a time into the Mat without tucking the pelvis. Feel the vertebrae behind the ribs, sternum, and neck “Imprinting” the Mat beneath you. Inhale and feel the muscles of the spine relax and return to their original shape.

Dead Bug

Begin on your back with knees bent, feet off the floor in the Table Top position and arms extended up to the ceiling, in line with the shoulders (“Dead Bug” position). Inhale to prepare. On the exhale, extend the right arm back towards the wall behind you while simultaneously extending the left leg long, keeping the foot off the floor. Inhale to return to the starting position. Exhale and extend the opposite arm and leg. Take care to keep the abdominal muscles engaged (imagine a corset around the core) so you don’t strain the lower back.

Bridge (Hip Hinge)

Weak hamstrings and gluteal muscles are often a culprit in lower back pain. Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat and hip-distance apart with arms long by your sides. Inhale and begin to lift the hips off the Mat. Continue to lift one vertebra at a time, until the hips, knees, and shoulders are in a diagonal line. Press the back of the arms and the heels of the feet into the floor as you do this. Pause at the top. On an exhale, articulate your spine back towards the floor: upper back, mid-back, lower-back and ending with your pelvis on the Mat and the spine in a neutral position (maintaining the natural curves of the neck and lower back). This can also be done without spinal articulation if it bothers your back, in which case you will hinge the hips and spine up and down using the glutes and hamstrings.

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