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Does your lower back hurt when you do Swan, Cobra and other backbends (extension exercises)?
Maybe you're using your glutes too much.
When you do a backbend, it's the spine that needs to move....not the hip that is pushed forwards because the buttocks are too tight.
This can cause both discomfort and pain in the lower back.
For many, the backward bend never reaches the upper back, which is actually the part of the spine that needs the most backward bending as it usually has a curve.
Instead, the movement is concentrated in the lower back, which is already doing backward bending.
In Pilates, we're looking instead:
- An even distribution of movement throughout the spine
- Support from within rather than force from outside.
The buttocks can be tonic. But they should not drive the movement.
More control.
Less pain.
Less pressure.
