Pilates For Lower Back

Trust me, hearing a weird cracking sound from your back is not something that you like to experience, ever.  Don’t get panic though if you do feel one as there are help available to sort out the problem. One of them is practicing pilates created specifically to maintain optimal health for the lower back. Read on to find out how you can do just that.

The anatomy on lower back

The lower back is made from complex and intricate structure with different parts interconnected with each other such as tendons and soft tissues; nerve roots with nerve endings here and there that travel to the lower extremities; small joints; as well as inner cores and spinal discs. Anything that can affect any of these parts can cause you pain and irritation as you move, which can be localized and/or radiates throughout the body. These pains can be mild to chronic, depending on the severity.

And no, it’s not just the older people can get these conditions as there have been a growing number of cases where youngsters also can feel the pain in the lower back, with usually the pain comes from the spinal discs itself, or muscle strain. As for the older people, common causes are joint degeneration such as osteoarthritis and compression fracture.

Treating lower back pain is very much depending on what causes the pain in the first place. And it’s also a good idea to include pilates as part of your daily routine. In fact, this exercise is proven to be very beneficial in improving and maintaining overall health (in this case, your lower back).

Pilates improves overall strength, flexibility and suppleness of the muscle, particularly on the core, to ensure that you use your body effectively, as well as improving the whole posture, hence less wear and tear of the joints.

Keep in mind though, although pilates sounds tempting (it’s actually is!), it’s always a good idea to get yourself check first with a qualified physician to avoid any complications that can happen. Your doctor may provide your guidelines so you can choose a pilates routine suitable for your condition. And always begin your pilates routine slowly and pay attention for any pain from the lower back.

So which pilates routine to ease lower back pain?

To do a Cat Stretch, position yourself on all fours, with the hands directly under the shoulders and the knees under your hips. Start inhaling slowly and curl the back, pulling the stomach towards the spine, while keeping the neck relax. Wait for a couple of seconds before exhaling and arching your back.

Opposite Arm and Leg Reaches are a bit tricky as you’re likely to wiggle to keep your body stable (I did) but that’s okay as it means the core area is not strong enough. All you need to do is go on all fours again, inhale while extending right arm and left leg at the same time. Wait for a few seconds before exhaling and back to first position, and repeat again in the left arm and right leg.

Complete your pilates routine by lying on the front with the palms underneath the shoulders. Slowly push yourself up as much as you can (you feel a bit of stretch on the lower back) and stay for a few seconds before returning back to the original position.

Looks easy, doesn’t it? These exercises are indeed easy but very beneficial to improve the lower back. Give it a go and see how you can improve significantly in short time.