Many pilates exercises are performed lying on the back and will require either a neutral or an imprinted spine.
The purpose of working in a neutral spine is to train muscles to work effectively for postural strength.
The purpose of an imprinted spine is to train muscles for core strength.
A pilates beginner will mostly work in a neutral position to develop postural integrity and an awareness of what functional posture is.
Working in neutral was not part of Joseph Pilates original method. He firmly believed in the elimination of all the curves of the spine, that they were the cause of postural problems.
But as his work was developed by his proteges, and as understanding of human movement became more sophisticated, the concept of neutral spine became a foundation principle of the method.
Imprinted spine is still a big part of the pilates method.
Many of the intermediate and advanced exercises are core strengthening exercises that require the lower back to be flat… or imprinted on the mat.
Maintaining this position can be quite challenging!
The “flattening” of the lower back in imprint is subtle and is activated from the deepest abdominal muscles and not with force or tension.
It’s a very deep abdominal contraction rather than a hard, braced contraction.
Once the legs start to move or be extended, the deep hip flexor muscle called psoas becomes a major player in maintaining the imprint.
Failing to use the “core” in an effective manner, will result in the legs pulling the lower back off the mat and there will be a sensation of a “strain” in this area.
And this is counter productive to developing functional core strength. Slow and steady progress is key to mastering the imprinted spine.
A big component on how effectively you can imprint is the natural shape of your spine.
Some people naturally have an exaggerated lower back curve and other have a naturally flatter one.
So, comparing your progress the person next to you is not relevant.
Learning to imprint effectively is a junction point between beginner and intermediate levels and is well worth the perseverance and effort to deepen and strengthen all components of core strength.
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