The Pilates is a physical activity that is different health benefits seen improves posture, offers flexibility, generates stability in the joints, promotes the control of the motor system and strengthens and strengthens the muscles; as indicated Be carefulPlus Laura Bonilla, physiotherapist and Pilates teacher at the Rey Juan Carlos University Clinic of MadridIn the same vein, the Clara Miranda Physiotherapy Center, from Zaragoza, explains that Pilateseither on the ground or in machines, “Helps to correct bad attitudes, prevents joint pain and lumbopelvic pain in pregnant woman and it is especially indicated to treat pathologies such as column deviationsincreased back curves, hernia and / or disc protrusions or reduced mobility and flexibility of the spine ”.
So Pilates can help fight back painAccording to the specialists consulted, there are a range of exercises that can manage back pain, but they caution that they should always be performed under the supervision of qualified personnel. “In the acute phases of pain, it would be recommended to work lying face upand fully supports the spine on the mat. Mobility exercises and stretching exercises are recommended at this time and can be introduced strengthening exercises gradually, that is, those who assume a low load on our back, ”advises Bonilla. In his opinion, after performing these exercises, you need to be very careful and pay attention if the pain increases after class or after 24 hours as it will be an indication that the exercise has been excessive.
“It is essential to perform the exercises in a very controlled manner, if be supervised and monitored at all times by a physiotherapist or health professional, as the prescribed exercises must be tailored to the patient’s history and pathology, ”Bonilla emphasizes.
Six Pilates Exercises for Back Pain
For their part, from the Clara Miranda Physical Therapy Center, they give some examples of floor Pilates exercises out there handy for the back
Anteversion and retroversion of the reclining pelvis
Lie on your back, with knees bent and feet flat on the floor to the width of the hips with the lumbar region loosened: draw air through the nose and blow it out through the mouth, trying to glue the lumbar region to the floor. To do this, contract the abdomen (insert the navel) without lifting the buttocks off the floor. Inhale through the nose lift the lumbar spine off the ground to return to the starting position. Do 15 reps of this exercise.
Elongation of the spine upside down
Turn face down again with the legs apart, with the arms at the sides of the body, draw air through the nose and as you exhale, straighten the trunk and trunk without lifting the legs off the floor. Extend your arms to your feetTake the navel to the ceiling while releasing the air to raise the trunk. “It is advisable to perform between 12 and 15 reps to make sure there is no discomfort in the lumbar area,” they say from the Clara Miranda Physical Therapy Center.
Swan upside down
Lie face down with legs apart, hands on mat, air through nose, and exhale with a trunk extension by lifting head and trunk without lifting the legs off the groundActivate the abdominal belt and buttocks as you release the air to raise the torso. Then breathe again and Lower by bending elbows to support the torso again and get on the mat. Do 12 reps.
Bridge over the shoulders
Again, you should lie on your back, knees bent and feet on the floor at hip width with the lumbar area slightly loosened, draw air through the nose and expel it through the mouth, trying to hit the lumbar area on the ground and lift the pelvis until it rests on the shoulder blades. During the climb you have to contract the abdomen inwardThen inhale without lowering the pelvis with buttock contraction and slowly lower the spine until it rests on the floor and returns to the starting position. It is advisable to do 12 repetitions and balancing the pelvis as the spine articulates as it raises and lowers“The exercise can be complicated by raising one leg up to the ceiling and bringing the pelvis up to the ceiling with one leg on the floor and the other straight up toward the ceiling,” they say.
The mermaid
You gotta sit on a mat with your bottom on it one leg bent in front of the body and the other bent sidewaysThen breathe through your nose and bring your arm up to the ceiling and release the air to lean your back laterally, closer to the ground and activating the deepest muscles of the abdomen“We breathe in the lateral C-position of the spine and we return while exhaling the air through the mouth to the center, applying force to the abdomen,” they clarify, adding: “8 reps are recommended. on each side releasing air through the mouth and lowering each rep closer to the ground ”.
The cat
You have to be in it four support position, hands shoulder-width and knees hip-width on the floor with the back aligned and head in line with the rest of the back, drawing air through the nose and moving the navel into and from the pelvis to the head as you expel perform a spinal flexion and bring the vertebrae up to the ceiling“We breathe in through the nose and when we exhale, we bring the spine back to the starting position from the head to the pelvis, repeating this exercise 10 times,” they emphasize.
Other Health Benefits of Pilates
Susana Rodriguez, head of Sanepilates and collegiate of the Professional college of physiotherapists of the Community of Madrid, agrees that Pilates provides strength, elasticity, coordination, stability through the work of the muscles and, in general, get the balance of the body of voluntary control over it. “ The goal is the body’s self-knowledge, to understand the proper functioning of each joint, which allows us to get out of our body maximum performanceSo in addition to bodywork, it is done a concentration-based cognitive or mental activity to take control of the body, ”says Rodríguez.
In this sense, for this expert, the main benefit of Pilates is the injury prevention“Many injuries are caused by repeated incorrect movement of a joint or body segment, so it is essential to learn to move that segment correctly for its rehabilitation and to prevent future relapses,” said Rodríguez.
From a psychological point of view, the Clara Miranda Physiotherapy Center emphasizes that Pilates improves mood by releasing endorphins and facilitates rest by reducing the voltage“It also has other benefits, such as improving balance, coordination and attention, helping to learn to breathe correctly and it is also a method to physical conditioning for athletes and dancersThey describe.
On the other hand, Bonilla emphasizes that one of the main benefits of Pilates is that “can be practiced by everyone, from those who are completely healthy and who want to exercise to those with injuries, previous pathologies or structural changes ”.