Classical Stretch?

[gladgirl]

[QUOTE

The biggest problem with people saying that Ess/CS hurts their back is not tucking the pelvis under when your arms are extended in front. Ess/CS is great for pain relief, but that pelvic tuck is fundamental to the program.

[/QUOTE]

My back was feeling a bit tight.
I just did her spinal strengthening one from season 12 and there was that "tuck" and I gotta say...my back feels amazing. I don't think I caught that before and my back would ache...because of me doing it wrong!

[yogapam]

Originally Posted by JackieB

The biggest problem with people saying that Ess/CS hurts their back is not tucking the pelvis under when your arms are extended in front. Ess/CS is great for pain relief, but that pelvic tuck is fundamental to the program.

I agree! I would add that the tuck, or neutral C, is different than c-curve ab work in Pilates & barre. It’s focus is more for stretching & mobilizing the spine. It’s important keep the glutes relaxed when you tuck as contracting them limits the tuck and then you tend to lean forward more. I’m thinking of this particularly in a shoulder blast sequence, but also in a table washes. I often get my students to touch their glutes to make sure they are relaxed.

[Lorelai]

Originally Posted by yogapam

I agree! I would add that the tuck, or neutral C, is different than c-curve ab work in Pilates & barre. It’s focus is more for stretching & mobilizing the spine. It’s important keep the glutes relaxed when you tuck as contracting them limits the tuck. I’m thinking of this particularly in a shoulder blast sequence, but also in a table washes. I often get my students to touch their glutes to make sure they are relaxed.

Even if I end up trying something else, I'm still learning a lot from this conversation! Thank you for these tips.

Another video I'm considering is Ellen Barrett's Peace Love & Cardio, which isn't a favorite but it's 30 minutes and more gentle than most of her other DVDs, with a good modifier and little or no floor work (can't remember exactly). I might just have to skip the twists at first and then keep the movements small when I do attempt them...

[yogapam]

Originally Posted by Lorelai

Even if I end up trying something else, I'm still learning a lot from this conversation! Thank you for these tips.

You’re welcome! If you try the tuck with glutes engaged and then with them relaxed, it feels quite different. There’s more potential strain on the low back when they’re tucked. The tuck, or neutral-c, is also designed to protect your low back if you don’t lean forward, your shoulders should still be over your hips. All that being said, no method works for every body. We are all different & Essentrics, as much as I love it, is not for everyone.

[Leonana]

Originally Posted by yogapam

I agree! I would add that the tuck, or neutral C, is different than c-curve ab work in Pilates & barre. It’s focus is more for stretching & mobilizing the spine. It’s important keep the glutes relaxed when you tuck as contracting them limits the tuck and then you tend to lean forward more. I’m thinking of this particularly in a shoulder blast sequence, but also in a table washes. I often get my students to touch their glutes to make sure they are relaxed.

This is where I'm different. I find my lower back pain is eased when I tuck in my pelvis and engage my glutes. But I mostly do that on forward bends with weights.

Okay, I'm trying it and it’s hard to relax my glutes. They naturally want to tighten up.

[Lorelai]

Today I felt good enough to carefully rediscover Jessica's Sunset Barefoot Walk. I know it's supposed to be super low key and easy, but since I've just been in survival mode for the past few years, it was a significant enough challenge. I was very careful and anytime I felt anything tightening more than it should I walked it out, kept the movements smaller, or just flat out skipped it and did my own walking in place. Then I added a few additional stretches for the hip flexors, quads and hamstrings at the end. I feel good! Maybe I was overcomplicating things... I'm a total over thinker and I tend to do that.

[donnamp]

Hi,

I haven't read the whole thread in its entirety - but for Ellen Barrett - she now has a reasonably priced $5.95/month streaming site and many of her new workouts are lower key than her former Studio series workouts - so it may be an option for you to try some of those. She offers a 7 day Free Trial so you can check out some of her new content.

Another instructor that I would recommend for post-pregnancy/pelvic instability issues is Jessica Valent - she it a PT and has both a You Tube channel and a paid site called Unlimited. She has a program specifically for post-partum. She herself has had a fully hysterectomy which she discusses openly and had two children of her own so she is very aware of the weakness in the pelvic floor and pelvic instability that can occur as a result.

Oh -another I have to recommend is Annie Pilates Physical Therapy on You Tube. She has some good routines as well.

Hope this helps!

Donna

[luvcritters]

Whether or not your body likes the tuck depends on how your spine is made and/or what might be wrong with it. With my spinal problems I need to stay away from spinal extension and on paper, tucking is the best thing for me. I tuck on my own at least 50 times everyday to stay out of pain. But any time I do Classical Stretch I get hurt. There must be something else besides the tuck that irritates my spine.

[Lorelai]

Originally Posted by donnamp

Hi,

I haven't read the whole thread in its entirety - but for Ellen Barrett - she now has a reasonably priced $5.95/month streaming site and many of her new workouts are lower key than her former Studio series workouts - so it may be an option for you to try some of those. She offers a 7 day Free Trial so you can check out some of her new content.

I've been intrigued by her streaming service but I live in a rural area and rely on cellular internet, so the biggest thing I can stream on is my tablet. I do wish she offered more downloads, because then theoretically I could make that work better for me. I might try the 7 day trial at some point just to see if it might be doable on a small screen.

[yogapam]

Originally Posted by Leonana

This is where I'm different. I find my lower back pain is eased when I tuck in my pelvis and engage my glutes. But I mostly do that on forward bends with weights.

Okay, I'm trying it and it’s hard to relax my glutes. They naturally want to tighten up.

It takes practice, especially if you are used to engaging your glutes. You have to focus on just using your abs. Think of your pelvis as a bucket of water and you want to pour some water out of the back of the bucket.