How to Use Pilates to Prevent and Heal Lower Back Pain: Part 2

If you can perform basic Pilates foundation building exercises, then you are ready to move on to more traditional ones that can help relieve back pain.

What It Is

Our Core Muscles (those that literally hug the bones of our spine) stabilize and protect the spine, but it is the outer Global Muscles that create the actual movement, such as an abdominal curl or rotation. The Core and Global systems have to marry in order to advance into the higher levels of Pilates exercises.

As we begin to explore some higher-level exercises, don’t forget about your foundational exercises. Always use them as your warm-up. Also, be sure not to push yourself prematurely into the higher level exercises. It takes a certain amount of time for most of us to learn to use our muscles in a way that supports rather than stresses the spine. There’s no hurry. Take the time you need.

Our Goal

To go beyond our foundation work into some higher-level exercises which will continue to strengthen and stabilize our spines to relieve and prevent low back pain.

Here’s How

In yesterday’s article, we looked at the seemingly simple foundational Pilates exercise, Marching, to build stability and strength in and around the lumbar spine. If you have been practicing this exercise and others like it, and feel confident in moving on—try these more advanced exercises.

Exercise – The Classical Hundreds (See Modifications Below)

This is the Pilates staple exercise and is usually done at the beginning of class to warm up and invigorate the body.

Start by lying on your back, legs long and together (feet parallel or turned out) and arms by your side.

On a long exhale, roll the head and shoulders up to look at your belly as you lengthen the arms and hover the legs above the floor. The feet in this advanced position should be in line with the hips.

Hold that position and keep your head, torso, hips and legs as is. Don’t let them move.

Start to vigorously pump the arms from the shoulder. Keep the arms straight as you pump, as if splashing in water.

Take a long inhale for five pumps of the arms and a long exhale for five pumps. This is one set.

In the advanced hundreds, you do ten sets.