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The
most essential thing that those who suffer from back pain can learn
is awareness of the neutral alignment of the spine and the
strengthening of the postural muscles to support the alignment. For
those people with back pain caused by the degeneration of discs and
joints, or poor posture, a Pilates exercise program can be beneficial
to easing the problem.
Most
back problems are caused by bad posture; this can be sitting, walking
or standing. This causes us to lose strength in our postural muscles
over time and gets worse until eventually you cannot even correct
your posture if you want to. Pilates is an excellent form of exercise
to remedy this problem too.
What
is Pilates?
The
Pilates method is a form of exercise that focuses on using the core
postural muscles to help keep the body balanced and support the
spine. It is a method that teaches awareness of breathing and
alignment of the spine. In helping to prevent and alleviate back pain
the system also strengthens the deep torso muscles.
While
Pilates is a simple form of exercise you shouldn’t underestimate
the impact that it can have, Pilates can help to develop support for
the deep postural muscles of the trunk. It brings an awareness of the
importance of neutral alignment and leads to the shoulders and hips
being suppler.
Pilates
has roots in ballet and dance and as such some of the movements used
in the system can be particularly challenging and difficult, however
there are some exercises that can be learned and practiced at home
between guided sessions. As when beginning any new form of exercise
it is important that you seek the advice of your doctor before
commencing, the instructor guiding the Pilates session should also be
qualified.
One-on-one
sessions may be the answer.
For
those who have significant back problems it may be advisable to have
a few one-on-one sessions with an instructor qualified in Pilates and
especially in treating those with back pain. While this is more
expensive than attending a class it can be worth the extra expense to
learn the exercise correctly by having one-on-one guidance.
While
the exercises in the Pilates system should challenge you mentally and
physically, they shouldn’t cause you to struggle with them. If an
exercise is causing you pain then it could be that you are not
performing it correctly or it could be too difficult a position for
you. You should make sure that you never put too much excessive
stress on the inter vertebral discs and avoid mental or physical
fatigue.
As
a general rule those suffering from back pain and attending Pilates
should never perform any exercise that pushes the spine into extremes
of extension or flex ion. Side bending movements and twisting of the
spine should also be avoided. As with most forms of exercise, it will
take perseverance and some time spent attending classes before you
will see any major improvements.
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