No matter how long you have been practicing Pilates, there is always a benefit in returning to the basics periodically. Checking and rechecking the alignment of your pelvis and spine is one of these basic exercises and you will encounter it as a recurring element in many of the exercises throughout this website. The spine lift is designed to reinforce correct pelvic positioning and to help you build the strength in your centering muscles needed to maintain that alignment when you are moving as well as when at rest. In this exercise, spinal mobility and lengthening is combined with establishing stability at the center.
1 Lie down with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Rest your arms at your sides.
2 Breathe in. Then, as you breathe out, tilt your pelvis so that your lower back flattens toward the floor and your pubic bone lifts. Keep your pelvic floor and your abdominals engaged.
3 As you breathe out, tilt your pelvis in the opposite direction to increase the curve in your lower back. Keep your pelvic floor and your abdominals engaged. Then return to the neutral position. Repeat this process a few times to establish a sense of where your neutral position is.
4 In your neutral position, breathe in. As you breathe out, engage your pelvic floor and hollow your abdomen just enough to curl your tailbone off the floor. Do this by imagining each vertebra in turn, from tailbone to upper back, peeling up from the floor Try to keep your thigh muscles relaxed and your weight supported equally between your feet throughout.
5 Stop when you have lifted to the point where your thighs and torso are in a straight line and you are resting on your shoulder blades. Hold the position and take an in-breath without relaxing the centering muscles. Then, as you breathe out, reverse the movement, slowly lowering each vertebra in turn onto the floor to return to your starting position. Use your centering muscles to control your body during the entire exercise.
Rotating the Spine
Waist work
Working the external oblique muscles helps to strengthen and tone the waist area.
In the exercise the focus was on mobilizing the lower spine area in order to create more flexibility and strength by bending the spine forward (flexion) and backward (extension). However, the spine also has the potential to rotate on a horizontal plane (see diagram above). This flexibility of movement allows the upper body to turn to the side while the pelvic area remains stable and front-facing.
Benefits of rotational strength
By controlling and strengthening this rotating movement you can again provide protection against back injuries that commonly occur as a result of excessive twisting of the spine, which can happen when such a movement is unsupported by strong centering muscles. Common activities, such as turning to lift a bag of groceries or to reach a jar in a kitchen cupboard, can easily lead to back strain if you haven't learned to protect your spine by using the whole range of abdominal muscles that are available to you.
Exercises that rotate the spine are particularly important; they release tension in the middle back and stretch out the muscles of the sides and waist area. This part of the back often becomes compressed during long periods of sitting and therefore exercises that mobilize it often provide immediate benefits in terms of relieving minor aches and stiffness. By learning how to rotate your spine you should notice your body becoming less stiff very quickly.
Multipurpose exercise
Few exercises in Pilates have a single purpose, and rotational work for the spine is no exception. In addition to mobilizing and stretching the back, you will also be developing your oblique abdominal muscles as they work to control the movement of your pelvis. These muscles are often underused in normal activities. As they become more active and toned, you will be increasing your ability to stabilize your upper torso while moving the area below the waist from side to side independently.
Reap the benefits
One of the principal benefits of rotational work is that in stretching and strengthening the oblique muscles you promote the lengthening of the waist area. This reduces pressure on the lower spine and over time helps to create a more streamlined outline to your body. It is advisable to approach these exercises with caution if you have an existing back problem.
Hip rolls
Do not be overambitious when you first try this exercise. It looks simple, but it is very deceptive. The measure of success is not how far you can drop your knees, but whether you can control the independent movement of your pelvis while maintaining the stability of the upper body. Key points to remember while doing the exercise are: keep your knees and ankles together (visualize them as a single "leg"); keep both shoulders on the floor; and keep your centering muscles engaged throughout the movement.
1 Lie on the floor in the neutral position. Stretch your arms out to the sides.
2 Bring your knees and ankles together. Breathe in and engage your centering muscles to hollow your stomach area.
3 As you breathe out, use your abdominal muscles to lift your left hip and tip your knees toward the right. Do not allow your knees and ankles to slide apart. Keep the outer edge of your right foot on the floor and allow your left foot to lift up completely. Keep both shoulders on the floor and stop when you feel your left shoulder beginning to lift.
4 Breathe in and then, on the out-breath, bring your legs back to the center. Control the entire movement with your centering muscles. Repeat the whole process on the other side. Then complete five repetitions or each side.
