Summer is a time of hiking, biking, gardening, beach-time and many fun outdoor activities. These activities all require long, flexible and strong core stabilizing muscles that we hone through our pilates + yoga practices.

Summer-time pilates balances these additional
activities listed above so we can continue to enjoy
them through the summer season.

Minimize low back pain through stabilized postural alignment and support.

Many activities can cause sore low backs, or injury through over-flexing the spine without support!

Supportive posture for summer activities requires stability of your spine and pelvis prior to movement. What we learn in class applies to biking, hiking, gardening ….finding a neutral spine with our ascending contractions of the pelvic floor will support our activities!

Before you round your back, squat and hinge from your hips with pelvic floor engagement in a neutral spine!

Biomechanical Principles of Pilates –
Breathing Diaphragmatic breathing (a.k.a. “belly breath”) with the ascending Pelvic Floor connection helps stabilize the pelvis in neutral.
Pelvic Placement Finding stability of the pelvis and lumbar spine in a neutral spine allows the weight of your body to travel through the center of your joints. This combined with the ascending contraction of the Pelvic Floor stabilizes and supports the lumbar spine and abdominal organs. e.g. Hinging (think squat) at the hip-joint in a neutral spine protects your low back from loaded flexion!

Rib Cage Placement Ribs should be in-line with the pelvis, finding appropriate abdominal engagement to support the mid and upper back. This allows for a full breath to gain and attain your pelvic floor connection.

Scapular Movement + Stabilization When stable the scapulae lie flat on the rib cage and glide across it. Work towards finding width across the collar bone, drawing the shoulder blades down and flat against the spine.

Head + Cervical Placement Finding a neutral head placement, neither over extending or flexing, continuing in the line of the mid-back during flexion, extension, lateral flexion and rotation. When the head is in line with the spine, you avoid tight neck and shoulders!
Aligning your spine as we do in class, applies to many functional everyday activities and movements.