Understanding the Relationship Between Core Strength and Back Pain

Pilates are low-impact exercises that help in improving your strength, flexibility, and mobility. This is possible as Pilates requires several parts of your body to work harmoniously and needs concentration.

Pilates aims at strengthening your core (abdomens and back). This positively impacts the reduction of back pain as Pilates improves your back. Pilates is a fluid range of exercises mixed with meditative and focus-driven exercises that help strengthen your back, hips, and thighs and improve your mood, concentration, and motivation.

Engaging the mind and body in this unique way can have a profound and enduring effect on your overall physical well-being, particularly when alleviating back pain.

8 Key Pilates Core Strengthening Exercises for Alleviating Your Back Pain

Pelvic Tilt

This is an easy exercise to perform and is also one of the most effective exercises. To accomplish this, 

• Lie down on your back with your knees bent. 
• Ensure you are comfortable and place your arms parallel to your body, palms on the floor.
• Now, tighten your abdominal muscles as if applying pressure to the floor with your back. 
• Hold the position for a comfortable duration.
• As you get comfortable and confident, you can move on to progressions, such as slowly lifting your legs towards your stomach for a few attempts.

Supine Spine Twist

"Supine" means "on your back," simply a position where you lie comfortably on your back. The Supine spinal twist is an easy exercise to perform. For this, 

• You first lie down, slowly raise one of your legs, and while bending the knee, bring it across your other leg while pushing your back towards the opposite side. 
• You must feel your lower back and hamstrings stretching. Return the leg to its resting position, and repeat with the other leg.
• You can perform this a few times till you're comfortable.

Shoulder Bridge Prep

This is a fun workout for your glutes and lower back, and it cannot be easy. It is essential to progress slowly and build as you perform more frequently.

• Begin by lying down with your back on the floor and bend your knees into a comfortable position that can support you by lifting your back.
• Now ensure that your arms are parallel to your body, and using your shoulder and knees, gently lift your body into the air. It should form an ascending bridge from your knee to the shoulder. Hold the position for a while and repeat it till you are comfortable.
• Ensure that your legs and arms are comfortably placed so that you don't strain any muscle.

Chest Lift

Chest lift is an easy-to-perform exercise, below is the procedure

• Place your arms under your head, and ensure that your fingers touch. Your elbows need to be spread out, and your knees need to be bent with your feet on the ground.
• Once comfortable, slowly lift your head and chest, using your arms to perform gentle "pull-ups" of your upper body. 
• Ensure to keep your lower back on the mat at all times.
• Repeat a few times.

Swan Dive

This is an easy-to-perform exercise and can benefit people who spend long hours on computers. 

• Lie face first on a mat with your palms near your shoulders. Your palms should be able to lift your upper body to perform this exercise.
• Place your palms beside your shoulder, enabling you to lift your upper body. Now, use your palm to prop yourself up gently. This should create an arch on your back.
• Hold for a few seconds and bring your forehead gently back to the ground.
• Make sure that your legs are stretched out, and your stomach is on the floor when you perform this exercise.
• It is vital to engage your back while lifting your weight and not place all of it on your hands. 
• Do not push your body too much, as it can hurt your spine.

Kneeling Arm and Leg Reach

This is an exercise that can also help improve body balance. For this follow the below mentioned procedure:

• On a mat, get down on your knees and place your palms on the floor. Your upper body should be parallel to the floor.
• Now with your head in line with your spine, gently stretch out your right leg fully without bending the knees. 
• Once you have established balance, move the opposite hand away from you. 
• Your hands and legs should be straight. 
• Hold for a few seconds, and repeat the exercise with the other limbs.

Plank

Planks are one of the most common practices to improve core strength. Here is the step by step procedure to perform plank:

• Lie down with your face towards the ground. Keep your arms and legs straight, and slowly lift yourself with the support of your toes. Ensure to lift your upper body weight with the help of your elbows, with the forearms parallel to the ground.
• It is important to ensure that your body is aligned and parallel to the floor, with no one side being higher or lower than the other. 
• Hold this position for a little longer and repeat a few times.

Roll Up

This is a fun and slightly challenging exercise to perform. It would help if you lay flat with your legs and hands stretched out to accomplish it.

• Lift your arms towards your back, and extend them. 
• Now, in one motion, lift the arms over your head, and try touching your toes - a full circular movement that should involve you being able to get your shoulder and head up as you try and reach your toes.
• This is quite challenging and may take several consistent efforts to be able to do so.
• Do not strain your lower back, and ensure to distribute the efforts evenly.

The Benefits of Pilates for Back Pain Relief

Improved Core Strength

Pilates is an engaging and refreshing exercise to perform. Pilates help improve your core strength as the exercises are designed to engage your glutes, lower back, and abdomen. This can have several health benefits and improve your overall health significantly.

Increased Flexibility

Enhanced core strength also helps improve the body's and muscles' flexibility. Most of these exercises aim to stretch and strengthen your muscles and can offer several benefits. Improved flexibility reduces muscle distress and can prevent frequent injury to bones and muscles.

Enhanced Posture

Improved core strength, healthier muscles and bones, and flexibility can help have a positive impact on your posture. These exercises help improve the full body function and strengthen the muscles and bones that are impacted due to stress. Improved posture can reduce stress on muscles and joints and help you easily manage your lifestyle.

Better Body Awareness

Regular Pilates can help strengthen your muscles, improve muscle memory, and help you understand your body better. The exercises are designed to help strengthen specific parts of your body, which can help you understand which area needs more attention and how to ensure the holistic development of your body.

How Can Physiotherapy Help

Physiotherapy is an effective way to begin Pilates. A physiotherapist can guide you through the exercises that make the most sense to you and your body, as they can better analyze and understand your body functions.

This will help reduce injuries and help in improving your well-being.

Precautions: When Pilates Should be Guided by a Physiotherapist

While Pilates helps manage your body pain, it is essential to understand your body's needs and manage the condition well. It is always advised to consult a medical professional to ensure that no underlying medical conditions are causing your back pain.

Sometimes, you may need to consult a physiotherapist to understand what exercises work best for your back pain.

Severe or Chronic Back Pain

Severe or chronic back pain can often have underlying medical conditions that could be related to your spine or a particular muscle. It is important to ensure that no risk can further this injury. A physiotherapist can medically support you and understand the reasons for such pain.

History of Spinal Injuries

It is best to visit a physiotherapist before starting Pilates if you have a history of spinal injuries. The spine is an integral part of your body, and any mismanagement can result in dire consequences. It is best to understand what exercises are possible that will enhance your health and, at the same time, ensure that the spine is safe.

New to Pilates

In most cases, people get enthusiastic about exercises and engage in intense workout sessions. This is often dangerous and can result in severe injuries. It is best to engage with a physiotherapist if you are new to Pilates, as it usually includes some form of engagement of the spine.

They can guide you through the various exercises and chart out a plan that will gradually improve the stages of Pilates for optimum performance.

Pre-existing Medical Conditions

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, it is best to consult a doctor or a physiotherapist, as several exercises can be physically and mentally exhausting. It could have complications and cause health issues if you are unprepared. Sharing your pre-existing medical conditions with your physiotherapist can help them develop an individual need for a specific plan and ensure you get the best out of your exercise.

Take Charge of Your Back Health with Physiotattva

While Pilates can be primarily performed with little to no supervision, it is always good to get an expert opinion, as they can help you better understand your body and its needs. 

At Physiotattva, our highly qualified physiotherapists will provide one-on-one attention and comprehensive plans for your back pain management, including optimum pilates exercise. Our in-house experts can help you monitor your performance and provide inputs and insights when needed.

This way, your worries about back pain will be a thing of the past. Reach out to our team today to avail personalized care for your health!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I strengthen my core to relieve back pain?

You can strengthen your core by performing simple strengthening exercises such as planks, spine twists, and pelvic lifts. These can help significantly reduce your back pain unless there is an underlying medical condition.

Which Pilates is best for back pain?

Depending on your back pain, you can engage in Pilates to help you alleviate it. Planks, chest pull-ups, roll-ups, etc can help reduce the pain.

Can Pilates improve back pain?

Engaging in consistent and appropriate Pilates can help straighten your core, back, and legs. Incorporating this practice into your routine can yield positive results in terms of reducing and alleviating back pain.

How can physiotherapy complement my Pilates practice?

Physiotherapy can provide valuable insights into what Pilates works best for you. This can be useful to understand your body and its needs and can help manage pain better. Physiotherapy can also offer better relief from pain as it is backed by medical knowledge. Hence the treatment can be specific.