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The Spine Stretch: 3 Big Benefits

Number eight on the 34 traditional pilates mat exercise workout developed by Joseph Pilates is The Spine Stretch.

It’s another simple exercise but not necessarily an easy one if flexibility is a challenge.

But…

With a few modifications initially and with consistent practice, those flexibility challenges can be overcome   

Spine & Leg Flexibility  

This seems obvious.

As you reach forward in The Spine Stretch, the entire back line of the body is lengthened.

From the neck to the tailbone, the spine is elongated along with the back of the legs…the hamstring muscles, calves and even the sole of the foot.

To get a high quality elongation of the back line in The Spine Stretch requires an understanding of the “C Curve” which is the shape the spine takes on when reaching forward.

The deep core muscles, including the breathing muscles need to be fully engaged to not only control the movement but to support the spine.

When the core muscles don’t get activated, the deep spine stretch won’t occur, and it ends up just being a hamstring stretch.

And in the original pilates mat exercises, the flexibility and mobility happens through dynamic movement rather than passive or static stretches and driven from the core.

Spine & Leg Strength

The seated position in pilates mat exercises and at the start of The Spine Stretch is called…long sit.

To achieve an effective long sit, the entire back line of the body needs to be activated and fully engaged.

The spine positioned very upright and not slumping or leaning backwards. This requires work from the deep postural spine muscles right up to the neck to keep the head in line with the spine and not pushed forward.

The legs are activated to keep the pelvis anchored to the floor and to keep the back of the knees long.

Bot the spine and legs are activated and lengthened at the same time, which is the essence of pilates core strength.   

Shoulder Placement

This is perhaps one of the biggest learning curves for most people.

When stretching forward in The Spine Stretch, the shoulders should stay in line with the arms and not get pulled up towards the ears.

If this placement doesn’t happen, the stretch ends up coming from the neck and shoulders rather than core activation and can contribute to neck and shoulder tension.

So many people endure daily neck and shoulder tension or even have pain which impacts their quality of life.

Awareness and development of shoulder movement function is vital for daily life.

Gaining strength from the simple action of holding your arms out in front of the body without neck tension is a huge benefit of many of the pilates…including The Spine Stretch.    

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