Five pilates exercises to relax and strengthen your back

To relieve back pain - excluding serious pathologies - Pilates is the ideal discipline.

This soft gymnastics method stretches the spine and the back, making it able to take the shocks of everyday life.

Discover five exercises to relax and strengthen the back, offered by Emilie Ravier, Pilates teacher in Switzerland.

Some details before starting ...

To obtain visible results, the Pilates method requires regularity.Emilie Ravier therefore advises to work twice a week or to do sessions of 15 minutes a day.

As for rehearsals, no need to chain them, to respect the principles of the method: “Central of the abdominal belt, concentration, self -control, deep breathing, flexibility and fluidity of the movement”, Lists the coach.

These exercises apply as well for low back pain, as in prevention, however make sure upstream with a professional that there is no contraindication to the practice of this sport.

Finally, do not forget to warm up before each session by mobilizing all the joints and following the breathing instructions indicated.

Exercise n ° 1: the "stretch spine"

Starting position: in sitting on the ground, the legs extended in front, open with a little more of the shoulder width, the bent knees and the arms stretched forward.

Movement: Inspire in the starting position by stretching the spine towards the ceiling, and exhale by bending the vertebra spine by vertebra, rounding your back down and front, while keeping the neutral basin.Repeat the movement 5 to 8 times.

Muscles committed: this exercise stretches the column and works on the back of the legs.

Additional benefits: it's a very good warm -up.It also helps to make hips and ischio lenses more flexible.

Exercise n ° 2: "Swimming"

Starting position: lying on your stomach, stretch your arms forward, then place your legs, spreading them to the width of the basin.Contract the abs and peel off in the alignment of the column.

Movement: make beats of your left arm and your right leg flush with the ground.Lift your head and bust slightly, while looking straight in front of you.By following your breathing, peel off an arm and the opposite leg and alternate.Perform 5 to 8 breathing cycles.

Muscles committed: This exercise imitates swimming movements and requests the posterior muscle chain, from the top of the skull to the end of the toes, the back, the back of the legs and the abs.

Additional benefits: "swimming" also stretches the column and stabilizes the ilio-costal muscles.

Exercise n ° 3: The "Should bridge"

Starting position: lying on your back, put your arms along the body.The feet must be removed from the width of the hips, bent legs and foot plants.Let yourself rest on the soles of the feet and on the upper back.Be careful to keep your back well in neutral, that is to say neither arched nor plated on the ground.

Movement: Make a retroversion of the pelvis by coming to tackle the lower back on the ground and unroll the vertebra column by vertebra on the expiration to come and align knees, pelvis, shoulders.Then take an inspiration and redress the column, always on the expiration, vertebra by vertebra from the top of the back to the coccyx and take the position of the back in neutral.Perform 5 to 8 breathing cycles.Inspiration at the top and expiration on the descent.

Muscles committed: strengthens the glutes and the lower back.

Additional benefits: this exercise allows you to soften the spine.

Exercise n ° 4: the "roll up"

Starting position: sitting on your carpet, stretched legs, and arms in front, parallels to the carpet.The back is slightly rounded.

Movement: by blowing, use the lower belly to unroll the lower back then the whole spine on the carpet.For the return, make a back of the pelvis and plate the lower back, fold your knees, go up by catching the back of the thighs.Then stretch your legs to return to the initial position.Be sure to take an inspiration at the bottom and to expire when going up.Repeat the movement 5 to 8 times.

Muscles committed: This posture makes the abs work, while strengthening the spine.

Additional benefits: beware this exercise is however to be avoided if one suffers from herniated disc.Indeed, rolling the back creates an additional pressure on the vertebrae and accentuates the hernia.

Exercise n ° 5: The "Rolling Like a Ball"

Starting position: in seated position, bent and slightly apart knees.The feet joined and pointed, slightly raised.The retroversion basin and the spine in the shape of a C.

Movement: Enter the ankles, make a retroversion of the pelvis and let yourself go back, while controlling the descent.Inspire by rolling the column backwards then come back in position by expiring.Perform 5 to 8 rolls.

Muscles committed: This exercise strengthens abs, stretches the spine and allows you to work the balance.

Additional benefits: beware, this exercise is however to be avoided if one suffers from herniated disc.