It’s about that time! Q and A Friday.
Pilates has been the most effective workout to strengthen the core, back and the entire body as a whole. One of the challenges of many, myself included is suffering from low back pain.
It’s the number one area many suffer from. I’m one of those people, years of running and after child birth my low back took a real beating and if I’m not disciplined with my Pilates practice I immediately feel it in my low back. I have a slipped disc, L5 S1. I’ve bruised my tailbone skiing a year ago and sitting on a doughnut wasn’t fun. I have to get back out there and attempt to not fall again. Although my friends got a good laugh out of it. Anything I can do to make someone laugh I’m all about it!
You can say I enjoy being active and I don’t let anything stop me from continuing to do what I love and being outdoors as much as possible. Pilates is my secret weapon to staying strong and keep injuries away.
Struggling with low back pain and feeling stiff is a terrible feeling, you feel older than what you should.
It’s one of the main issues and complaints many come to me for relief. They’ve either hurt themselves doing other fitness workouts that killed their joints and their body couldn’t take it anymore.
Here’s the thing, when you constantly put strain and abuse the body with some crazy workouts be assured you will be feeling the after effects. That is if you are not doing functional training to assist in the mobility, strength and flexibility of the body.
That’s why adding the Pilates system to any activity is crucial, and heck even if you are not a fan of Pilates and you think it’s silly I encourage you to add one exercise into your routine a day and you will soon be a huge fan.
Many of the Pilates Ab exercises forces the deepest layer of the abs to work, this also includes the hips, lower lumbar flexion and pelvic control. What does this all mean? If you struggle with a stiff low back, back surgery or slipped discs modifications in the beginning will assist along the way in staying out of the back when focusing on core exercises.
This brings me to a question from Marc…
Question:
I am an ultra marathon runner but unfortunately have a prolapsed disc (L 5 S1 ) I purchased your product to help in my rehab but find a few of the exercises especially the ab ones, put strain on my lower back. I would like to know which pilates exercises I should do to strengthen my core without putting extra strain on my back.
Answer:
The important thing to remember when doing any Pilates abdominal exercises is hip and pelvis placement. This is an ongoing correction in the beginning when someone new walks into my studio. Years of holding a plank incorrectly with the low back arching, butt up high in the air, sunken shoulders and head titled up.
* First off the best Pilates exercise to begin with is the Ab Lift, this will help you to focus mainly on the core and less on the back.
* Placement of the head must stay in alignment with the spine, for example when holding in a plank position don’t look up, instead keep your eyes down facing the floor, this will keep your head in line to your spine.
* Make sure your shoulder are open and lats, serratus is engaged when doing any ab exercise, whether it’s a plank or an ab lift. I’ve seen instances where the shoulders are hiked way up to the ears. No bueno! Keep them down and away from your ears, this causes to much strain on the head neck shoulders.
* Avoid the temptation and start breaking the habit of yanking and thrusting your hips forward into a ball when doing an Ab lift, keep your pelvis and hips still when executing a move.
* Lengthen the low back by positioning the hips correctly, below is an example of what I’m referring to when holding your hips and pelvis in the correct position…
When doing any of the Pilates moves if there is any discomfort in the low back, modify the move by pulling your knees in towards your chest. Or if you are doing a plank, bend your knees down to the floor.
Don’t be a big shot and straighten your legs when you know your core isn’t strong enough yet and you are still working on the correct placement of the hips/pelvis.
Here’s the thing, over time we all pick up bad habits. I have seen this time and time again when I first work with someone. It’s a bad habit of improper body placement when we first learn how to do abdominal exercises. I did it, I was part of the masses who would thrust the head forward, tuck the chin down and didn’t protect my neck when I barely placed my fingers tips at the back of my head.
I’ve unlearned the bad habits and incorporated new functional habits that continue to help me with all my daily activities and for many of those that I help every day to strengthen their bodies with functional body weight Pilates. The look of joy in their faces when they no longer feel the pain in their back, neck and shoulders and they feeling the real work of the abs firing.
Stay with it and keep participating the Pilates moves!
Maybe I’ll just get back on the slopes this year and do some snow boarding, I haven’t tried it yet.
But it looks like a lot of fun, this time I’ll work on not falling on my behind again! Anyone have any helpful tips on snow boarding?
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