Katie Leaver Pilates

In my last post I talked about the muscles of the back.  Today I want to talk a little more about the muscles you use and the benefits of rotation.  When we rotate we use some of the muscles of the back, including the multifidus and latissimus dorsi.  We also use some muscles from the side internal and external obliques and front, rectus abdominis. The rogation of the trunk uses both thoracic and lumbar vertebrae.    Now stand up and rotate (twist) to look behind you.  I bet your hips move and you are rotating from your ankles, your feet may even have swiveled a bit.  That is great, because that is how we move as humans.  Now find a cushion and a wall.  Fold you cushion in half and prop it behind your bottom so you are stood up straight and the cushion is held between your bottom and the wall. Rotate again, but this time do it without moving your hips.  We are looking to find a strong twisting feeling in the trunk, a bit like you are wringing out a dish cloth.  If your bottom is liftin

Articulate your spine!  How many times have you been asked to do this in a Pilates lesson?  If you come to one of mine, probably lots.   The cue, "articulate your spine" is used in the large pelvic tilt exercise and is used to promote movement between each individual vertebra.  In a large pelvic tilt you start in the Pilates relaxation position.  Firstly you tilt your pelvis so that your lower back moves closer to your mat and your pubic bone rises (a small pelvic tilt).  Then leading from your pubic bone you peel your spine from the mat one vertebra at a time, until you reach a bridge position.  To come back down, I like to think I am trying to imprint my spine into sand.  So to make a really good spine print I have to get each vertebra to touch down individually finishing with my tail bone.  Naturally I am engaging my core throughout the whole exercise.  So what do we achieve by articulating our spines?  We have lots of muscles in our back and the deep muscles of the back a