Long hours sitting at a desk can take a serious toll on your spine, leading to stiffness, poor posture, muscle weakness and aches and pains.
But according to Maia Henry, Pilates and strength coach at Ladder, incorporating targeted Pilates movements into your routine can help as this low-impact practice is known for supporting spinal alignment.
To ease tightness and tension, boost mobility and support a better posture, we asked Henry to share her six favorite strength-building and spine-friendly Pilates-inspired moves. She suggests doing three rounds of the following.
How to do the routine
Perform three rounds of the following. You can scroll down to read form guides and trainer insights.
- Cat cow x12
- Bird dog x12
- Glute bridge x12
- Plank x30secs
- Thread the needle x12 each side
- Lat stretch x30 secs
Cat-cow
Video credit: Ladder
Reps: 12
How to:
- Come onto your hands and knees, with hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
- Inhale, arching your lower back and lifting your tailbone, allowing your abdomen to relax toward the floor, while lifting your chest and chin.
- Exhale, rounding your back upward, dropping your head and chin toward your chest and pressing your palms into the floor.
- Alternate and flow between the two poses, slowly and mindfully.
Trainer insight: "This improves your spinal flexibility and posture, and relieves tension," says Henry. "Practice the cat-cow in the morning, and it will also help with digestion and bloating."
Bird dog
Video credit: Ladder
Reps: 12
How to:
- Start on your hands and knees.
- Inhale, engage your core as you extend one arm in front and the opposite leg back, keeping your hips and shoulders level with the floor.
- Exhale, bring your elbow and knee to touch under your torso.
- Extend again and repeat, before switching sides.
Trainer insight: "It is important to make sure you really squeeze your core and use your mind-muscle connection to think about your deep core muscles being worked," Henry says.
Glute bridge
Video credit: Ladder
Reps: 12
How to:
- Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor and ankles directly below your knees.
- Inhale, press through your heels, squeeze your glutes and drive your hips up, forming a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
- Hold for a second, then lower slowly without arching your back.
Trainer insight: "This exercise strengthens the glutes, lower back and improves pelvic stability," says Henry.
Plank
Video credit: Ladder
Hold for: 30secs
How to:
- From a front-lying position, rest on your forearms with your elbows at 90° and prop yourself up on your toes.
- Hold your body in a straight line from your head to heels. Keep your hips parallel to the floor, your back flat and your core, glutes and legs engaged. Hold for 30 seconds or as long as you can.
Thread the needle
Video credit: Ladder
Reps: 12
How to:
- Start on your hands and knees.
- Exhale as you thread your left arm underneath your right, resting your head on the floor. Inhale deeply in this position.
- Exhale, untwist, reaching your left arm upward, opening your chest and shoulders.
- Repeat on the other side.
Trainer insight: "This movement opens the chest and improves mobility in the spine and shoulders," Henry says.
Lat stretch (hands on the wall)
Video credit: Ladder
Hold for: 30secs
How to:
- Stand about a foot away from the wall, reaching your hands overhead and pressing them into the wall.
- Press your chest down, feeling the stretch along your spine and shoulders.
Trainer insights: "This is a great stretch for improving posture and feeling the stretch right in your spine," says Henry.
"You want to also practice your breathing during this exercise, so with every exhale really push your chest further toward the floor while you press your hands on the wall—feeling it in your shoulders."
Perform all six moves for three rounds to see the best results.
You can also team this with core-strengthening exercises and glute exercises—spread throughout the week—to keep your spine strong and supported.
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