Back Pain Relief With Stott Pilates

If you’ve never heard of Stott Pilates, you may want to to look into it in order to find some back pain relief. Back pain can be dangerous to your overall health.

There are hundreds of licensed chiropractors that whole heartily recommend Stott Pilates to their patients with sore backs. As long as you practice correctly, Pilates can really help in eliminating back pain.

Why does Stott Pilates work so well in alleviating back pain, you may well ask? What makes it so good for you is that it looks at the potential structural imbalances that everyone develops as they age.

For you, it might be bad posture, lack of stability in your pelvis, muscles out of balance, no core muscle support ( a common cause of lower back pain), or even just not having a sense of body awareness. Having a regular routine with practice of Stott Pilates can bring dynamic changes and even elimination of all your back problems.

The first thing you will learn in a Pilates class is how to become aware of your own body. You’d be surprised to find out exactly how many people don’t even know that they aren’t aware of their own bodies! You need to understand and actually feel how everything inside of you (meaning your different body parts) stack up and are connected to each other.

With your body’s structure misaligned all manner of difficulties can occur. The thing is that once one part is out of alignment, your entire body compensates for that misalignment. Of course, it also leads to further misalignment.

One very common misalignment occurs in the pelvis. Many of us have the tendency to tuck or tilt our tailbones, generally without the knowledge that we are doing so. What happens when we do this is that you develop a weakness on one side of your body. This, in turn, causes the other side of your body to become very tight.

The way that Stott Pilates helps you deal with this imbalance is by letting you gently develop the inner core postural muscles of the abdomen. This causes your body to gradually flow itself back into optimum alignment.

It might be obvious to someone not used to Pilates exactly what a profound effect it can have on your over all feeling of well being. You might be tempted to give up in the beginning but don’t do it. Promise yourself that you will try Stott Pilates for long enough to feel it work. You may find your pain just vanishes overnight.

Top Three Pilates Exercises For Ab and Back Strengthening

Pilates focuses mainly on the core or abdominal muscles so it is perfect for working on the back and abs. One of the great things about Pilates is most people can do it on their own from home at any time. For actual physical therapy or more advanced training though you should consult a certified Pilates instructor that can guide and correct your movements to ensure you are doing everything the proper way. These exercises are good for working out on your own and will strengthen your back and abs.

The Hundred

This is a great one to tone the abs from the inside out because that is where everything originates for this exercise. Lay on your back and bring your legs into your chest. Place your arms at your side and relax for a minute taking in some deep breathes. Inhale and lift both your shoulder blades and arms off the ground about six inches. Extend your legs out at the same time. Pulse your arms five times as you exhale. Inhale, flip your palms over and pulse five more times. Repeat ten times for a total of one hundred pulses.

Teasing V-Sit

On your back lift your arms over your head and keep your legs out. All in one breath and movement raise your torso in one piece, and legs at the same time. Bring your arms over your head and bend at your waist at the hip section. Make your arms reach toward your toes so you end up in a “v” sit position. Hold for one breath. Exhale and roll down the vertebrates of your spine. Repeat as many times you can handle.

Chest Float Hold

Lie on your stomach with your forehead down, arms at your side and legs straight together. Inhale and lift your torso off the ground as you also lengthen your arms behind your back and stretch. Push your shoulders down and lengthen your neck keeping it in line with your spine. Hold and relax down. Repeat ten times.

The Whole New World of Pilates Fitness

You are most probably grown tired of doing your routine exercises because you feel exhausted and tired after doing it. Instead of refreshing you and giving you some relaxation, your traditional exercises may have been stressing you more. If this is also happening to you and you want to have a new set of challenging exercises, the Pilates fitness program is here to answer all that you are looking for.

You see, you don’t have to suffer forever from those difficult to execute exercises. Pilates fitness is an alternative that is just perfect for a dynamic and adventurous person like you. There is one special individual to commend in this case and that is Joseph H. Pilates who was altogether a skin diver, skier, and a skilled gymnast. Before he became any of those though, he was a sickly child who fortunately had a lot of exercise motivation.

When he developed this program, he was thinking of the victims of the war who were injured and need physical training to be able to make the body function again. After the Pilates exercises were being noticed, he had his first students who happened to be some dancers who strongly believed that this program will help them improve their skills. His next students were some individuals who were physically challenged individuals, elderly people, health enthusiasts to movie actors and actresses.

Now, you may wonder what Pilates fitness is really all about. Pilates is consists of gradual and purposeful movements that is focused on the core muscles of the body. The core muscles include the ones on the abdomen and the back. The philosophy behind the Pilates fitness regime is that if one develops the muscles in the midsection of the body, then the rest will have the energy and stamina to take on more.

The program has a properly planned Pilates exercise which serves as the guiding rules of the participants that allow them to do the slow movements starting from the small-scale ones increasing to large-scales. This kind of program results to improved body condition and better control of joints all coordinated to generate the best physicality possible.

This Pilates exercises are good for those who are on their senior years since their body is aging and needs slow motion to reduce the effects of aging and to control the body to become more improved when it comes to good posture, coordination, flexibility, and strength. This fitness is also advisable to individuals who went through surgical operations.

Then again, the Pilates fitness and training needs more than the physical aspect of involvement. You also need to coordinate your mind with your body so that your movements would go in harmony. Just like doing yoga or meditation, you need to concentrate and meditate as you do the fitness program incorporated with proper breathing. You can do the fitness with exercise mats or with other Pilates fitness equipments available.

Pilates fitness program provides their own set of equipments for the training. Some of those are the reformer, the pedipull, the cadillac, the barrel and the chair. These equipments are specifically designed to allow the participant to concentrate more on the training to be able to generate the best results possible. Through this training and equipments, the muscles and body inward core work out in such a way that it also stretches the outward core.

There is no reason for you to use up all your energy doing the traditional exercises when there is a modern set of effective trainings that you can employ to develop your body muscles. The Pilates fitness training has planned it all for you, all you have to do is to use it and you will soon notice how your body become toned down and strengthened after the training.

Step into the world of Winsor Pilates

As soon as you switch on the TV, you see promises, promises and promises of building a better, thinner, richer and happier you. This is why the Winsor Pilates program is such a relief. With the use of terrific celebrity sponsors, you’ll find that this method of Pilates exercise is perfect for helping you get in shape and really enjoy it.

It was introduced to the world by a very lively Mari Winsor, who after many years of being a dancer, has now dedicated herself, as a certified Pilates fitness instructor, to help both men and women lose weight, strengthen their physical faculties, and reveal their body’s natural shape. Traditional Pilates has been there for quite some time but it was Mari who made it more popular with her pool of superstar clients.

You’ll find that no matter what your preference that there is going to be a great program available for you. You can look at the books, get on the website, check out the Pilates videos, or even visit a Winsor studio to learn in person. They are all great resources for you.

The Winsor DVDs and Winsor Pilates videos were all produced by Mari herself, and today, they are are the only virtual 3D exercise program around that will be able to give you proper form and positioning. You can collect your choice of thirty different videos, and you can relax knowing that they are all designed to give you a more trim, more taut body. Tone your body and lose weight with these great Pilates fitness programs.

Check out great Pilates videos on things like bun and thigh sculpting, upper body sculpting and abdominal sculpting, all while losing weight. There are also Pilates exercises on the mat and the Pilates training with equipment as well. Make sure that you take advantage of the money-saving packages of five DVDs, which will also get you a sculpting or magic circle.

In 1990, Mari Winsor opened her first Winsor Pilates studio in Los Angeles, and she has been working hard ever since. At the studio, her students get the maximum of benefits from the program as they work on the core muscles. With this workout, they are tightening their back and their abdominal muscles. They’ll get a great sculpted look, and a powerful midsection on top of it. This can help prevent back injuries in the long run.

Similarly, muscle toning on the legs and buttocks gives one an overall smooth and sleek look. At the end of a Winsor Pilates workout, you get an enhanced body posture and renewed energy to do your tasks.

Surprisingly, Mari has been traditionally trained in classical Pilates which was originally used for the rehabilitation of injured professional dancers and those with other health challenges and complications. Even then, she has successfully innovated Pilates fitness to further benefit health buffs and body-conscious individuals.

So now you are a few steps away from that Winsor Pilates lifestyle and much nearer to a healthier and slimmer person.

Pilates Exercise: Double Leg Stretch

The Double Leg Stretch is a great abdominal workout. It strengthens the powerhouse while focusing on stretching and breathing. The Double Leg Stretch exercise demands upper body strength and endurance. You must focus on your breathing throughout the entire exercise without dropping your upper body to the ground.

What You’ll Need: A Pilates mat or a cushioned place to lie on the floor.

Level: Beginner.

Emphasis: Strength.

Time Required: 5 minutes.

Here’s How:

1. Lying flat on the mat, bring both knees into your chest, holding on to your ankles.

2. Inhale. Extend both arms and legs straight out at opposite 45-degree angles.

3. Stretch your arms out to the side, making a circle and exhale. Reach for your ankles as you pull your knees back into your chest.

4. Repeat 5-10 times.

Tip: Draw your stomach in to your spine. Try to stretch your sitting bones away from your powerhouse to lengthen your entire body. Keep your feet above your hip bones to avoid arching your back.

Modification: If you have knee pain, place your hands under your knees. For back pain, bring your legs higher. For shoulder pain, do not make circles with the arms, simply raise and lower them down to grab your ankles.

Advanced Challenge: When beginning the leg extension, touch the toes to the mat while the legs are still bent for deeper abdominal work.

Transition: Raise the right leg straight up in the air and hold on to your ankle with both hands to prepare for the Single Straight Leg.

View the video below for a visual demonstration.

Pilates Exercise: Single Leg Stretch

The Single Leg Stretch is a classical Pilates exercise for strengthening and toning the abdominal muscles. It trains the abdominals to initiate movement, and to support and stabilize the trunk as the arms and legs are in motion.

What You’ll Need: A Pilates mat or a cushioned place to lie on the floor.

Level: Beginner.

Emphasis: Strength.

Time Required: 5 minutes.

Here’s How:

1. Lying flat on the floor, bring your head up and your chin to your chest. Bend your right leg into your chest, placing your right hand on your right ankle, and your left hand on your right knee.

2. Lift the left leg a few inches of the mat.

3. Switch legs, pulling your left knee into your chest and stretching your right leg straight in front of you, keeping it off the mat.

4. Repeat 10 times for 5 sets.

Tip: Keep the hip and shoulders square, with a flat back and hips, knees, and feet in alignment.

Modification: If you have knee pain, place your hands under your knees. For back pain, bring your legs higher.

Advanced Challenge: Try to touch the mat with your toes when extending the leg for deeper abdominal work.

Transition: Bring both knees into your chest to prepare for the Double Leg Stretch.

View the video below for a visual demonstration.

Pilates Exercise: Rolling Like A Ball

Rolling Like a Ball is an original Pilates exercise which requires core strength to move your body smoothly, like a ball rolling back and forth. The flow of movement develops abdominal strength as well as control and balance. This rolling exercise also stimulates the spine and tunes you into the inner flow of movement and breath in the body.

What You’ll Need: A Pilates mat or a cushioned place to lie on the floor.

Level: Beginner.

Emphasis: Control.

Time Required: 5 minutes.

Here’s How:

1. From a seated position, bring your knees close to your chest.

2. Holding onto your ankles, bring your head down to your knees. Stay in a tight ball by keeping your feet close to your buttocks and the stomach pulled in.

3. Inhale. Roll back to your shoulders and exhale. Roll back up to sitting, holding the position on the up. Balance on your sitting bones for two counts.

4. Repeat 6 times.

Tip: Keep your head close to or between your knees.

Modification: If you have knee pain, try it with your knees bent, holding on to the backs of your thighs.

Advanced Challenge: Place your right hand on the left ankle and the left hand on the right wrist. Hold your feet close to your buttocks.

Transition: In a sitting position, place your right hand on your right ankle and your left hand on your right knee. Then lower your torso down to the mat while keeping your knee close to your chest for the Single Leg Stretch.

View the video below for a visual demonstration.

Pilates Exercise: Single Leg Circles

Single leg circles are one of the best Pilates exercises for testing your core strength. The abdominal muscles must work hard to keep the shoulders and pelvis stable despite the movement of the leg in the hip socket. The single leg circle also tones and stretches the thighs.

What You’ll Need: A Pilates mat or a cushioned place to lie on the floor.

Level: Beginner.

Emphasis: Mobility.

Time Required: 5 minutes.

Here’s How:

1. Lying flat on your back with your arms by your sides.

2. Reach one leg up to the ceiling, while the other leg reaches straight down the centerline of your body on the mat.

3. Slightly rotate the leg, reaching for the ceiling out from the hip. Begin to make circles, first crossing your body with your leg.

4. Start and stop the circle at your nose — the center of your body — and work within the frame of your body (the box).

5. Repeat five times, then reverse the circles five times.

Tip: initiate the movement from your hip and keep your leg loose. The energy of the circle is on the way up.

Modification: If you feel any strain in the back of your knee, keep it slightly bent.

Advanced Challenge: You can make bigger circles as long as the hips our steady.

View the video below for a visual demonstration.

Pilates Exercise: The Roll Up

The Pilates roll-up exercise works your abdominals and improves flexibility of your spine. It also stretches out your lower back and flattens your stomach.

This is a floor or mat exercise and involves rolling up your upper body while extending your arms.

What You’ll Need: A Pilates mat or a cushioned place to lie on the floor.

Level: Beginner.

Time Required: 5 minutes.

Here’s How:

1. Lie on your back with your arms and legs flat on the floor. Lift your arms back above your head so that you are stretching long. Take a few deep breaths to make sure you are breathing fully, lying straight and relaxing your muscles.

2. Breath in as you start to lift your arms toward the ceiling and slowly start rolling or peeling your upper body off the floor from your head down.

3. Breath out slowly as you curl forward, keeping your head tucked and pressing your belly-button tightly against your spine to engage your abdominals.

4. Stretch your arms and torso forward over your legs creating a C shape with your body, pushing all the air out of your lungs and feeling the stretch in your back and legs. Keep your abdominal muscles tight.

5. Inhale again as you begin to roll back, vertebra by vertebra onto the floor. Make sure you engage your abdominals again as you roll down with strength from your core.

6. Finish in the starting position with your spine flat on the floor and your arms outstretched and reaching long.

7. Pause for a moment and then repeat five to ten times. Stay focused on your breathing and keeping a smooth, continuous motion.

Tips: Keep the movement fluid and constant. Work with your abdominal muscles. Don’t straighten your spine while rolling. If you feel any stress or discomfort, hold on to your thighs until you are stronger.

Modification: Slightly bend your knees with the feet on the floor, and keep your arms by your side if you cannot roll up smoothly.

Transition: Lie flat on the mat and go into the Single Leg Circles.

View the video below for a visual demonstration.

Pilates Exercise: The Hundred

The hundred is a classic pilates exercise so named because it takes a count of 100 to complete. This exercise strengthens core abdominal muscles and expands the chest and ribcage.

The hundred is a mat exercise often used as a dynamic warm-up for the abdominals and lungs. It requires that you coordinate your breathing while raising your legs to a vertical position and waving or pulsing your arms up and down in small motions.

What You’ll Need: A Pilates mat or a cushioned place to lie on the floor.

Level: Beginner.

Emphasis: Strength.

Time Required: 5 minutes.

Here’s how:

1. Start by lying on the floor with knees bent as if you were doing sit-ups and have your arms resting palm down at your side.

2. Squeeze your abdominal muscles so that your head, neck, and shoulders raise off the floor. Keep your abdominals squeezed tightly throughout the whole exercise. Stretch your arms forward toward your toes and start pulsing them up and down a distance of about 15cm. Stay is this position for a count of 20.

3. Slowly lift your legs to a 90 degree angle with your body. Continue the pumping for a further count of 20.

4. Slowly extend your legs straight up to the ceiling and keep pumping for 20 counts.

5. Begin to lower your legs at a 45 degree diagonal to your torso and keep pumping for 20 counts.

6. Keep your legs straight and lower them as close to the ground as possible without lifting your spine off the floor and keep pumping for 20 counts.

7. Lower your head to the floor. Release your arms, bend your knees, and place your feet back on the floor.

Tip: Draw your stomach into your spine. Use the energy of the arms and hips reaching in opposition to take pressure out of the quadriceps muscles (thighs).

Modification: For lower back pain, keep the legs slightly bent or legs bent at a 90-degree angle. For neck pain, keep the head on the mat or use a cushion.

Advanced Challenge: As your abdominal muscles grow stronger, try to lower your legs as you keep them straight. You may also add more repetitions up to 200.

Transition: Bend your knees to your chest. Then lie flat on your back with your legs straight on the ground for the Roll Up.

See the video below for a visual demonstration.