Spring Pilates For Your Posture

Pilates is a unique set of principles and movements done mainly of the floor, focusing on alignment and strength of the shoulder and pelvic girdle. Pilates create long, lean, strong and perfectly alignment bodies. 

The Pilates A,B,C

·  Alignment:
Whether you are side lying, prone, supine or on all fours it is essential that you are in your neutral spine.
Aim to keep the head stacked correctly on top of your spine (chin in to keep the back of the neck long) and relaxing the tops of your shoulders away from your ears, so the shoulder blades slide down your ribs cage and back, this will also activate the stabilizing muscles in the shoulder girdle.
Then focus on finding a natural curve in your lower spine, in most people this creates a small gap between lower back and the floor in a supine position (lying down - face up).

·  Breathing
The correct breathing takes time to master. Always breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth (through pursed lips). Feel your breath travel in to your rib cage almost like you are breathing into your arm pits, during the breathing cycle you should feel the chest rising and falling more than the belly. In Pilates we use the inhalation to prepare the body for movement and exhalation at the point of greatest effort of the exercise.
                                                          
· Centering
In Pilates we center the body by mainly focusing on the Pelvic Floor and Transversus Abdominis.
Pelvic floor is located low down in the pelvis and is like a sling under the base of your pelvis, the Transversus Abdominis or TA is locate higher up around the lower abdominal area and acts like a corset around the lower torso.

The pelvic floor muscles also inhibit the bladder - to activate, create the sensation you are stopping yourself passing urine (drawing up from low down in the pelvis). The transversus abdominis muscles activate when we create a slightly hollowing or drawing in at the lower abdominal area, like a corset being tighten around your waist.

When activating these muscles you are looking to master a level of around 30% of the maximum contraction possible (100%). This is optimum and most effective in spinal stabilization and your body can also, over time learn to activate these muscle groups subconsciously.

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5 simple exercises to help with mobility and strength.

1. Head Rolls:
Lying on your back, find neutral alignment. Exhale and roll your head the right side as far as you can (looking to the side) inhale and draw your head back to the center, repeat on the left. Repeat this 20 times, alternating.
Head rolls help to release unwanted tension in the neck and shoulders by increasing blood flow and mobility.

2. Ankle Rolls and Stretch:
Lying on your back, hold one leg in the air with both hands. Draw small circles in both direction - gradually increasing the size and speed of the circle, 1 min each leg.
In the same position now point the toes towards your face, pressing your heel up in the air - hold for 10 seconds and release, repeat 5 times on each leg.
These exercises are a great way to increase movement in the ankles and feet after a long winter on bulky footwear!

3. Shoulder Bridge:
Inhale and tilt your pelvis towards you so lower back flattens to the floor, exhale slow curl up through the spine ensuring each section of your spine leaves the floor and returns to the floor individually, imagine your spine peeling off the ground like a piece of sticky tape. Be sure to squeeze your butt and keep your feet flat to the floor as you lift, this engages your glute muscles. Repeat this for 2 mins or 10 times.
The main focus on the bridge is to increase mobility in the spine, the move also builds strength in the glutes.

4. Hips Rolls:
Lying on your back, place your feet hip distance apart, hands wide with your arms straight (so you make a T shape).
Exhale and slowly lower your legs over to one side, come down as far as you can while keeping the shoulders down into the floor. Inhale and draw your legs back into the central position, repeat on the other side.
To progress increase the range of movement. Repeat this for 2 mins or 10 times.
Hip rolls are another great way to increase spinal mobility, especially in the mid back

5. Scissors:
Lying on your back, lift legs one at a time so knees are directly above your hips with your toes pointed towards you. Exhale and lower one heel down towards the floor keeping the knee joint at a 90 degree angle, inhale and bring leg back to start position. Lower down as far as you can, maintaining the neutral spinal alignment.
To reduce the intensity of this exercise begin with just one leg at a time, with the other leg on the floor throughout.
Repeat 20 times, alternating legs. The scissor movement is one of the best ways to build strength in your deep abdominal muscles and protect your lower back.

To further benefit from Pilates check out Gareth's teaching schedule and try a class.