Three step at-home pilates workout can strengthen your spine and bones
Pilates has exploded in popularity recently, in part thanks to its ability to sculpt and strengthen the body, but these aren't the only health benefits of this intensive exercise. Joseph Pilates created it while he was interred with other German citizens in Lancaster Castle during the First World War to help him and his fellow prisoners remain fit and healthy.
Firstly, Pilates focuses on the core and a strong core creates better posture and less pressure on the spine, resulting in less likelihood of pain or injury. A Pilates workout can also help with injury recovery and help us stay mobile throughout our lives.
While Pilates studios are certainly seeing an increase in the number of people attending their classes, and while these classes certainly have health benefits, they may not be quite so beneficial for our wallets. Luckily, there are some Pilates workouts that you can do from home. Abby McLachlan, Founder of Pilates, Yoga, Barre & Wellbeing studio East of Eden, has shared three stretches you can do in the comfort of your own home.
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Abby's top three moves to strengthen and mobilise the spine
Bridge
Abby said: "Lie with your back and shoulders flat on the floor, arms by your side. Arms by your side, headrest down if on the reformer (three red springs), neutral pelvis, knees bent and heels on the footbar or mat.
"Inhale to prepare, then move your pelvis into the imprint, continuing the movement up, peeling the spine, one vertebra at a time, off the reformer or mat until you are in a shoulder bridge with a neutral spine and a straight line like a ski slope from knees to hips to shoulders.
"Inhale at the top, then articulate slowly down on the exhale, placing one vertebra at a time down, through your imprint and landing back into the neutral spine. Inhale to prepare and go again. Repeat five to 10 times."
Cat/Cow
Abby's next recommendation is the cat/cow stretch. For this, you should start by getting into a quadruped position on your mat or reformer. Inhale deeply to prepare, then exhale to flex your spine so you create a C shape. Then, look towards your belly button at the bottom of the exhale, like an angry cat.
For the next step, Abby said: "Inhale to slowly reverse the movement, one vertebrae at a time, coming into extension, looking at the top corner of the wall at the top of the breath. Repeat each movement a few times."
Mermaid
Begin by sitting on the mat or reformer machine, and face the long right side, with your legs bent in front of you flat on the floor - your left leg should be bent with the shin parallel to the front of your body, and the right leg is to your right side with the shin parallel to the side.
Abby said: "Take your left hand to the floor or footbar (one red spring), and take your right arm straight up by your right ear on the inhale. Exhale to flex the spine over to the left while pushing the reformer out with your left hand or pushing the floor away.
"Ensure you keep your spine in a vertical plane as if you were trapped between two panes of glass. Inhale to come back, raise the left arm by your left ear, then counter-stretch the spine over to the right. Repeat twice, then change to face the other side of the mat or reformer."
Then, you can add in a rotation. At the end of your two mermaid stretches on each side, rotate the upper half of your torso from your waist around the left (when facing the right, and vice versa), and take three slow breaths here before releasing.
Adding this rotation, coupled with the cat/cow exercises, means that you will have moved your spine in every direction. Together, these two are great stretches to do daily and will only take a few minutes but could give you better spine health for life.