Practically speaking, most people avoid back extensions because they are not easy to be done and many restrictions are being put on extensions. While people with backache and other spinal issues avoid these in order to prevent further damage, others too do not really do back exercises where they must. Back extensions help in strengthening the back and promoting spinal health. These activate all the muscles surrounding thr spine as well as th muscles around it including joint muscles of the gluteal region, hip region and shoulder region.
There is a famous pilates saying that you are only as young as your spine is. This means that if your spine is old at the age of 30, you are old and people in their 50s with better spinal health are considered to be young. That is why it is important to work on all the aspects of back and muscles of the back.
However, before you do any exercise, you must create space. So, you should lengthen the body, lengthen the spinal column and only then go into the extensions. This is going to protect your back because you are activating the right muscles and creating the required space that is needed to yield better results.
Single Leg Kicks
This exercise is great to activate glutal muscles and activate them while keeping you in a nice and extended back position. What is important here is that you must rest and sync to your shoulder. Also, you must use the arms as support to lengthen the spine. So, pilates is great for spinal health because it works on all aspects including flexion, accession and rotation.
- Get on your forearms lengthening the spine
- Arch your back or lengthen your back
- Kick twice with one leg heel as you want to kick the bottom twice
- Quickly exhale during the kicks
- Now, change the leg and follow the same steps
Double Leg Kicks
- Get on your forearms lengthening the spine
- In the starting position, you are hands are at the side and not at back.
- Keep your legs together with toes pointed and knees are bent
- As you inhale, lengthen your legs
- Imagine as your arms and legs are tied up to an invisible rope so, your legs are extending that is pulling the arms to expand as well as the spine to flex
- As you soften the knees and bend your elbows, go back to the starting position with your hand turned to the other side.
- So, this exercise is to be done 3 times on each sides while changing between the sides
Swimming
- Lie down on the stomach looking down
- Stretch out your arms
- Keep moving your arms and legs up and down in an alternate manner
- You should be moving swiftly keeping the tension on legs and arms
T Hold and Y stretch
- Then you lie down on the stomach with arms alongside the body
- This is Egyptian cross position or T Stretch
- Then you extend your arms in opposite directions to create the letter Y
Swan
This is a beautiful and dynamic exercise and should not be done by beginners. The full swan position is only for people who have mastered this pose and beginners must only do half swan pose.
You should only extend your back to half the position. Only people who practice this regularly should completely stretch their back. This is because extending your back suddenly without practice can cause muscle pull.
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