Does your client have back pain? Here are 5 go to movements to incorporate into your class!
It is no surprise that back pain is a common pain condition experienced by many clients at one stage or another through their life. While back pain can be caused by many different factors some common reasons people experience back pain are: poor posture habits causing altered load through spine, prolonged time spent sitting causing spinal stiffness, or overuse injuries from repetitive movements.
Spines are designed to be moved regularly while also having both strength and stability around them to provide support. When this is not the case clients can experience pain. Pilates provides the perfect exercise to both decrease the risk of back pain and/or improve low back pain.
5 exercises to add to your programming to help back pain:
01
Kneeling Front Splint
Position | Kneeling on reformer, hands on footbar. 1 foot on either front platform or footbar (depending on client flexibility).
Spring | Medium (lighter for deeper stretch).
Movement | Client to inhale then on the exhale and push out carriage aiming to straighten front leg. Pause for a moment in stretch position then repeat. Can hold stretch for longer duration as desired.
The Why | This will stretch the Hamstring muscle group. Often if the hamstring is tight it will add more pressure through the lower back contributing to pain.
02
Rolling Bridges
Position | Lying supine on the reformer. Feet on footbar hip distance apart.
Spring | Heavy (to keep bed still). May need 1 – 2 blocks in if tall.
Movement | Instruct clients to perform a posterior pelvic tilt to imprint the lower back on the carriage. Clients then start at the tailbone and begin lifting the hips followed by middle back and upper back. You are looking for a rolling movement to get each level of the spine rolling on one another. Clients then inhale at the top and as they exhale begin rolling back down towards the bed. This time in reverse, starting at the upper back and ending with the pelvis. Cue clients to note any stiffness through this movements are with repetitions this should reduce.
The Why | Reduces spinal stiffness and facilitates healthy movement of the spine.
03
Mermaids
Position | Sit on the side of your reformer bed then adopt a Z sitting position (cue shin along the shoulder pads, other foot crossed in front). Hand closest to the footbar holds onto footbar.
Spring | Medium
Movement | Using hand on footbar push reformer bed out while reaching other hand up and over your trunk. Reach hand in the air to the footbar and use both hands to push carriage further out. Take eye gaze and chest down towards the ground and feel stretch through both shoulder blades. Keep both hands on the footbar and begin to bring the bed in while extending head and spine up towards the ceiling. Take hands off footbar and pivot them to grab shoulder pads.
The Why | Mermaids produce multidirectional mobility of all spinal regions targeting any region that has reduced movement.
04
Hands in straps with pilates ball under pelvis
Position | Lying supine, pilates ball placed under pelvis centrally.
Spring | Medium
Movement | Perform any hands in strap series. Cue additional focus on core activation and clients aiming to keep still on the pilates ball. Side to side movement through the pelvis demonstrates decreased core activation and decreased lumbar spine stability.
The Why | Places focus on lumbar spine stability and core activation.
05
Four point kneeling hovers
Position | Footbar down. Feet on platform. Hands on bed under shoulders.
Spring | Light – Medium (lighter = more difficult)
Movement | Instruct clients to engage core then hover knees up ~ 10cm. Hold for 10 seconds to target muscle endurance. Then repeat. Progression is to push bed out and adopt a full plank position.
The Why | Performing planks places intentional focus on the core which then protects the spine.
This provides 5 ways to make your classes more targeted and beneficial for back pain. Give them a try next time a client says they have back pain or incorporate in any class to keep everyone’s spine moving well. They will love you for it!
