But why does this exercise method help with back pain? read on to find out………..

If you consider that you have two types of muscles in your body – big superficial mobilising muscles and small deep stabilising muscles. In our everyday life, sport and other more vigorous exercise disciplines we tend to use our bigger mobilising muscles to move, this is very natural and good for these muscles. However, if the smaller and deeper muscles are not strong enough they will not be able to stabilise and protect the joints as you are moving. This leads to an unstable foundation which puts our body at risk of loosing good posture and becoming injured.

Example: Imagine a building having insufficient foundations which are unable to provide the correct amount of strength to stop the building from crumbling and falling over – our bodies are basically the same, if we are not strong in our foundations (ie – the deep stabilising muscles) the rest of the body is out of control and can’t maintain a good solid upright position.

When our foundations are weak, our skeleton will slump, slouch and compress which puts excess pressure through the joints, particularly the spine. Over time, our posture gets worse and the excess wear and tear and poor muscle control can lead to postural back pain. (and possibly more serious problems such as a herniated disc)

Pilates for back pain exercises specifically target the deep stabilising muscles which will improve your strength from the inside out providing support and stability for the pelvis and spine reducing pressure and improving back pain.

Once you engage your core CORRECTLY you will be building that strong foundation to hold your body upright, as we are designed to be.

Back pain can be improved and it’s never too late to start trying to correct poor postural habits.

BUT, I want to stress that learning the Pilates method correctly and at a suitable pace for you is ESSENTIAL to feeling the benefits. Take your time when starting out, make sure you are feeling the core working properly and be patient.  Pain will only be improved if the Pilates for back pain exercises are suitable for your level and executed properly.

The New Forest Pilates video library has a unique 8 step beginner programme that will teach you each stage in a clear and easy to follow manor. These beginner Pilates exercises are safe and suitable for all levels.