pilates and back pain

[calendria]

I'm unable to keep it in neutral once my feet leave the ground. for right now going back to doing viniyoga for my lower back. I'll check out that dvd alos. thanx for recommending it.

[txhsmom]

For overall back and core strengthening, Allaire Back Fitness comes to my mind, particularly Season 1: http://www.allairebackfitness.com/catalog.html.

You might be able to find these on your PBS station - 25 minutes of total core work and stretching, filmed in lovely locations.

Carol

[Gancho Girl]

Originally Posted by calendria

I'm unable to keep it in neutral once my feet leave the ground.

That indicates to me that you're not strong enough to handle having your feet off that ground, or that you need some technique advice (in-person) to help find imagery that'll help your activate the necessary muscles.

[KarenJo]

calendria, the other DVD I'd recommend besides the Stott one for real beginners is Hilary Burnett's Pilates Basics. She uses some nice imagery to give you the idea of what you should be doing and has modifications shown in insets so her DVDs grow with you.

You may need to do some core strengthening before you tackle Pilates. A good move to start with is lying on your back with your hands loosely behind your head, your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, engage your core by pulling your abs toward your spine. Then lift your head and shoulders off the floor while focusing on using your abs not your shoulders or your hands pulling on your head. Keep your shoulders back and head as much in line with your back as you can rather than coming forward. Go up only far enough to feel your abs working, hold for a couple of seconds and lower yourself down with control. Start with just your shoulders coming off the floor, doing several reps, and over time work up to peeling more of your back off the floor as you raise up being careful to only go high enough that you still feel your abs doing the work and your back doesn't arch away from the floor. You may not feel your abs working at all when you first start doing this.

A private session or three is a great place to start but be prepared for a good teacher to be somewhat expensive. Like $60-80 for one session. A good teacher has done a lot of expensive training but they're worth it if you can manage the cost. Most good studios have new client specials for a few classes. Look for someone who specializes in Pilates rather than one who just lists it as one of a bunch of general fitness certifications. Other related certifications like Melt or Feldenkries are a plus, however.

Good for you to ask when you realized it wasn't working for you. Hope you find what helps.

[AsSweetAsSugar]

Pilates for Beginners with Kristin McGee is a good one.

[calendria]

thanx. I have decided to go back to mutu until my core is stronger

thank you ladies for all the help