Back Exercise for Woman Using PilatesI have found the best back exercise for woman to be strengthening not only the muscles of the back, but also and more importantly the deeper abdominal muscles. The deep, transverse abdominal muscles actually surround and protect the fragile vertebra of the spine. As a woman who's had upper and lower back pain... I have found no better exercise system than Pilates to work those deeper core muscles that support the back and, in effect, keep it pain free and healthy. The pulling and stretching action of Pilates exercises has relieved not only my upper back and neck pain, but has also strengthened and stretched my lower back.
Some of the most effective back exercise for woman can be found in the new Pilates ebook available here. There are loads of color pictures and descriptions of exercises that help to work the back and other joints of the body while stretching and strengthening the muscles of the extremities and core.
* One of my favorite exercises for flattening the abdominals and increasing core strength and breathing capacity is the Hundred. This exercise gets its name from the 10 sets of 5 breaths in and out for every set making up 100 breaths. Position yourself lying on your back with the head and legs elevated flattening the stomach. The purpose is to keep the head and torso still while pulsing the arms straight up and down in time to the breathing. Good for warming up the abdominals and respiratory muscles. Find the hundreds and more Pilates exercises in the Pilates DVD for Healthy Back and Joints, check it out here.
* Another great exercise for increasing your core strength, and, in turn back strength is the Teaser. This is a very advanced exercise and should only be attempted after completing a beginner and intermediate Pilates course with good form. The object is to come up from lying flat with the legs long into a balanced V-Sit. The Teaser helps to articulate or open up the vertebrae of the spine, in effect stretching the back and strengthening the deeper muscles of the core.
* A good upper back exercise for woman that helps to improve your core strength and posture is the Elbow Lift. This exercise is performed lying on your stomach with fingers on shoulders and lifting the elbows, in turn the upper body (chest and head) off the floor like with butterfly wings. Most of the prone (face down) exercises are effective in working the muscles of the back and abdominal muscles simultaneously.
* A perfect example of a prone back exercise for woman to Strengthen the lower back is Swimming. Lying face down with your arms and legs extended and abdominal muscles drawn in alternate lifting or extending the opposite arm and leg while keeping the torso still.
* An example of a kneeling back exercise similar to the swimming exercise is the Arm and Leg Extension. Position yourself kneeling on your hands and knees. Simultaneously extend one leg behind you and the opposite arm just parallel to the floor.
See these last two examples in this great article about low back exercise for woman.
|
