As Pilates becomes more and more popular the number of people practicing and acquiring injuries has increased as well. This could be due to inexperienced instructors, large class sizes, or overzealous exercisers.
Joseph Pilates designed the exercises for rehabilitation not for pain and agony. If done correctly and making modifications to some of the classical moves, where necessary you will find Pilates to not only strengthen your core musculature but to relieve your back pain.
How can you avoid Pilates and Back Pain? Looking at some of the most common Pilates exercises that may contribute to back pain if not done under the watchful eye of an instructor.
Imprinting the Spine: When you imprint the spine into your mat this means you are pressing the spine or back into the mat.
Why Not: This exercise can cause compression on the discs of the spine.
Better Option: Neutral Spine (using the natural curvature of the spine) is the only place where the muscles can work safely and effectively to support the spine in all movements.
Roll-Up: Most people use momentum to do the roll-up.
Why Not: This exercise can cause Pilates lower back injuries when done repetitively and with tight hip flexors and weak core muscles.
Better Option: Use a mini ball at the lower back to help support the back as you roll into it only half way down.
Swimming and Swan Dive: Lying on your stomach with arms and legs extended.
Why Not: These exercises, when lifting the arms and legs to high can cause the back to hyperextend and cause excessive disc compression.
Better Option: Draw the abdominals up off the mat and extend one arm and opposite leg keeping the head down on the mat.
Rolling: Rolling like a ball is supposed to be gentle and like a massaging action.
Why Not: If you have Osteoporosis this exercise can cause fractures of the spine if done too aggressively. Also, by throwing the head and not engaging the abdominal muscles it can cause compression of the lower back as well as whiplash in the neck.
Better Option: Practice just balancing on your tailbone sitting up or lying down hugging your knees and rocking gently back and forth without rolling up to a balance.
Leg Circles: Lying on your back with one leg at 90-degree angle and the other straight on the mat.
Why Not: If you have tight hamstrings keeping both legs straight can pull excessively on the lower back and not allow you to effectively keep the tailbone down and use the abdominal muscles to stabilize the body.
Better Option: Bend the leg you are circling so the spine can relax into its neutral position and then the torso is better able to stay anchored making the exercise more effective.
