Pilates Exercises for Lower Back Pain

Pilates exercises can help reduce low back pain by strengthening the core abdominal muscles. Once strengthened, these abs form a "girdle" of muscle to stabilize the spine and reduce low back pain. If you exercise, stretch, build core ab strength and practice stress management, this will help reduce low back pain.

  1. Why is Building the Core Important?

    • Many of us spend hours sitting at desk or in the car, and the low back muscles become fatigued and stressed. They were not designed to support the spine and low back: the abdominal muscles are. The abs include rectus abdominis, a sheath of muscle that runs from the collarbones to the low pubis; the transversus abdominis, located at the lowest part of the belly and obliques, which fan around the sides of the waist to help rotate the trunk. Working all of them will keep you from slouching and straining the low back.

    Moving from the Core

    • Sit upright to do a modified Pilates exercise. Sit on your hips and set your feet flat, with knees bent so your knees track over the ankles. Extend the arms forward at the level of the shoulders. Bring the lower abs in toward the spine, and keep your head and chest tall so as not to sink into the low back. Moving from the belly, lift the right foot and extend the leg to straight. Lower down and repeat to the left side. Do 10 sets for each side. Rest.

      Doing as many Pilates exercises as you can builds "muscle memory" so that the lower abs activate and work to support the spine so that you are not tempted to slouch and compress the low back, creating discomfort or pain.

    The "Hundreds" Exercise from Pilates

    • The "hundreds" refers to the deep core exercise. Lie on a padded mat or towel with feet apart hips-width distance and knees bent. Draw the lower belly to the spine to engage the abs and keep that action throughout.

      Moving from the lower belly, lift the head and shoulders off the floor and extend the arms straight so that they hover about 3 inches off the floor with fingertips pointing toward the feet.

      Breathe by inhaling through the nose and exhaling in short bursts through the mouth as if blowing out a candle; keep this breathwork going throughout the workout.

      As you draw the belly muscles down toward the spine, move the arms downwards. Do 10 sets of 10 for a hundred repetitions: hence, the "hundreds." Rest.