It worked for Elvis: “Rock your pelvis gently toward your feet … ” 

HAVE FUN WITH FITNESS – Core strength and pelvic floor contractability are keys to a healthy, vibrant lifestyle no matter what your age or phase in life.

From bladder control to sexual well-being…even posture and balance, your pelvic floor and strong core are your best friends.

But how do you work your core safely, especially if you are experiencing normal run-of-the-mill back issues, such as tightness, stiffness or mild discomfort? (We are not talking serious injury here…just your basic everyday aches and pains of the aging process.) The answer is the power of Pilates.

The exercise method of Pilates was created in the early 20th century by German physical trainer Joseph Pilates. It focuses on breath, spinal alignment, stabilization, pelvic mobility and abdominal contraction. (Source: Wikipedia).

It is popular among dancers, actors and now ordinary people like you and me. Why? Because it is accessible to almost everyone, regardless of age or physical ability, provided you are mobile enough to get up and down from a floor mat.

NOTE: No investment pays greater dividends than boosting your fitness. Marla will coach you through this and other routines via Zoom. Contact her here to set up your one-on-one coaching session. 

According to Barthelemy Liabaud, MD, Interventional Pain Management at The Spine and Pain Institute of New York:

“By working on the muscles around the core, Pilates creates a harmonious strength that supports the entire body. This balanced development not only reduces the risk of injuries but also contributes significantly to pain management for many individuals.

“Moreover, Pilates isn’t just about physicality—it’s a practice that cultivates mindfulness and body awareness. Through concentration and control, it fosters a deeper connection between mind and body. This heightened awareness can be transformative, aiding in better posture and the correction of movement patterns that might contribute to discomfort.

“For those dealing with chronic pain, Pilates offers a potential path to relief. Strengthening the core muscles can alleviate pressure on the spine and surrounding structures, providing a more sustainable way to manage pain. Remember, before starting any new exercise regimen, it’s essential to consult with a healthcare professional, especially if you have underlying health conditions or concerns.”

Are you still game? Assuming you have medical clearance to exercise and no serious injuries or medical conditions… let’s get started.

“Do this simple workout three times per week. You’ll stand taller, feel stronger and improve your quality of life in more ways than one.”

First, put on comfortable clothing that allows you to stretch. You don’t need shoes or socks, but if you have footies with treads, these can be helpful. Otherwise, do it in bare feet.

You also need an exercise mat or alternatively, a towel on top of a carpeted floor. A playground ball (or balloon or pillow) and an exercise band can also be helpful, though they are optional. However, drinking water is mandatory! It is always important to stay hydrated during exercise.

BREATHING/PELVIC TILT

Lay down on your back with your knees bent, arms by your sides and shoulders relaxed. Take a big inhale and puff up your chest. Exhale drawing your navel into your spine. As you repeat this several times, upon inhaling, rock your pelvis gently toward your feet. When you exhale draw your navel into spine as you rock your pelvis toward your face. Feel your contraction deepen with each repetition. Do eight to ten total repetitions.

ROCKING REACH

Flowing immediately into the next exercise, come to a neutral pelvis with knees bent, feet on the floor. Shrug your shoulders up toward your ears and then reach your hands down toward your feet. Do this two or three times. Back up your feet so your fingertips can touch your heels. Then walk your feet away just a few inches. If you’re able to do so, lift your head slightly. Reach your right fingertips to your right heel. Slowly rock to the other side reaching your left fingertips to your left heel. If possible, keep your head up the full time. But if your neck starts to hurt, by all means rest it down. Do five or six complete sets.

KNEES TO CHEST/WINDSHIELD WIPERS

Still lying down with knees bent, bring them into your chest and give yourself a hug. After all, you deserve it. Now put one hand on each knee and stir them toward each other a few times, then reverse directions. OK…stretch break is over.

Return the knees to a table-top position where the knees are right over the hips and the shins are parallel to the floor. Squeeze your abdominal muscles in and up and engage your pelvic floor. (What’s that, you say? Your pelvic floor is controlled by your Kegel muscles, the ones you squeeze when the line is too long at the ladies’ room. Men have them too, even though there is never a long line…go figure!)

Drop both legs to the left until they reach the floor. Engage all those muscles again to lift your bent legs carrying them over the center so you can drop them to the right. Do four to six sets. Remember to fully engage the abs before lifting. If this is too challenging, put your feet on the floor and do the same motion of slowly dropping left to right.

TOE TOUCH ABS

Lying on your back with knees bent–engage your pelvic floor, draw your navel into your spine and lift one leg into a table-top position at a time. If you feel strong enough to lift your head, neck and shoulders off the mat, do so, but with your hands behind your head to support you. Keep your elbows wide. Maintaining the right angle in your legs slowly lower one foot toward the floor; bring it back to the starting position then alternate to lower the other foot. Keep going, striving for eight to ten full sets, but rest your head at any time if you feel any tension in your neck.

SINGLE LEG STRETCH

Start with the same set-up. Lying on your back with knees bent–engage your pelvic floor, draw your navel into your spine and lift one leg into a table-top position at a time. If you feel strong enough to lift your head, neck and shoulders off the mat, do so, but make sure you are lifting from your abs without putting pressure on your neck. Reach your arms up back behind your head, then draw one knee in closer to the chest; grab that knee with both hands as you really engage navel to spine. Stretch the opposite leg out as far as you can. Switch knees, switch, switch, switch! Try to do eight to ten sets.

DOUBLE LEG STRETCH

Start with the same set-up. Lying on your back with knees bent–engage your pelvic floor, draw your navel into your spine and lift one leg into a table-top position at a time. (To add an extra challenge, you can squeeze a ball, balloon or pillow between your inner thighs.) If you feel strong enough to lift your head, neck and shoulders off the mat, do so, but make sure you are lifting from your abs without putting pressure on your neck. Reach your arms back behind you, then draw both knees in closer to the chest; grab both knees with your hands. Keep your abs in and up! Now stretch your legs straight out and your arms back behind you, then hug the knees in again. Try to do eight to ten sets of these too.

MODIFIED CRISS-CROSS

Lying on your back with knees bent–engage your pelvic floor. Put your hands behind your head to support your head, neck and shoulders. Bring one knee up, lift your head and twist the opposite shoulder to that knee. (You may think I meant twist your elbow to that knee. But if you think shoulder to knee you will get better engagement of your obliques.) Put your foot down, rest your head on the mat oh-so-briefly if you need to, then switch sides. Try to do eight to ten sets of switches.

BRIDGE SERIES

Lying on your back with knees bent, feet hip width apart–engage your pelvic floor. Slowly using your gluteal muscles lift your lower back off the floor, bone by bone until your pelvis is on the same plane as your knees. Then lower down slowly, also bone by bone. Do eight to ten sets. To make it harder you can squeeze the ball, pillow or balloon between your inner thighs for this first bridge exercise only.

Now get back into the bridge position; this time raise one leg straight up in the air. Lower and lift the bridge only with the leg that has the foot on the floor. Do eight to ten sets, then switch sides.

For one last variation, return to the basic bridge position. This time glue your knees together. Lift one leg straight up to the sky. Point that toe and lower and lift that leg five to six times while the other leg stays in the bridge. Naturally you repeat on the other side.

SIDE KICK SERIES

Lying on your side with your back lined up to the back of the mat, angle your two legs forward. (If you have an exercise band and want to make it harder, tie it around your legs a few inches above your knees.) Get your neck comfortable by either resting your head on the floor or if it feels better, you can prop your head up with your bottom hand. Engage your pelvic floor. Hug your midline so you feel like your legs glued together.

Your top hand has a choice of three positions. You can put it on the mat in front of you for maximum stability. For more of a challenge put your hand on your top hip. An even harder challenge is to put your hand behind your head.

Squeeze your abs in and up to stabilize your hips. Flex your top foot and lift your top leg up and down very slowly so it feels like you are going through mud on the way up and mud on the way down. Repeat ten times.

Returning to the same starting position lift your top leg up with your foot flexed. Circle that entire leg forward very slowly in small circles. Keep your hips stable by fully engaging your core. Do ten repetitions and then reverse your direction.

Return to the same starting position, but this time bend your knees like you are sitting in a chair forming your legs in an entire right angle in front of you. Lift the top bent knee up about 6” to 8”. Angle your knee down and your foot up. Bring the top knee down so your knees touch together. Immediately flip your knee up and touch your feet together. Repeat knee-to-knee, foot-to-foot. Do ten sets.

For the last exercise on this side, start in the same position as the exercise above. Straighten your bottom leg so that your top knee rests on the mat. Make your bottom leg into a steel rod with a flexed foot. Lower and lift that entire bottom leg ten times. If you are ambitious, you can repeat the small circle exercise with that bottom leg as well.
Now that you’ve done one side, switch sides and repeat the whole side kick series.

ENDING STRETCHES

Ahhh… the cool-down stretch. You’ve earned it! Lying flat on your back, hug your knees into your chest just like we did at the beginning of the workout. Put one foot on the floor and raise the other leg up to the sky. Put your hands on the back of that thigh and pull the leg toward you gently. Next take your hands and climb up your leg; your head may come up off the floor. Elongate your posture as much as possible. Give that leg a nice long stretch; repeat on the other side.

Bend your knees and put both feet on the floor. Cross your right leg completely over your left. Drop your legs to the left as you gently twist your torso to the right. Extend your arms out to the sides. Relax in that stretch; switch sides when you are ready.

Untwist your legs and slowly make your way to a seated position, sitting in any manner that is comfortable for you. Reach one arm up toward your head, bend your elbow to pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Grab that elbow with the other hand, drawing the elbow closely to the ear. Repeat on the other side.

Back to a comfortable seated position, let’s relax the neck by first gently looking all the way to the right, then to the left. Return your head back to neutral; drop one ear toward the shoulder slowly then repeat on the other side. Return to the center and very, very slowly drop your neck chin toward chest; roll your neck first to one side then the other.

Lastly, give yourself a hug for a job well done! Do this simple workout three times per week. You’ll stand taller, feel stronger and improve your quality of life in more ways than one.

KICK YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION TO THE NEXT LEVEL!

Marla will coach you through this and other routines via Zoom. Contact her here to set up your one-on-one coaching session. 

Marla Altberg is a Certified Personal Trainer for private sessions in-home, in-office or via Zoom. She is accredited for mat class instruction through the intermediate level by Power Pilates. She also holds certificates for Personal Training, YogaFit Level One, Barre Vida and Senior Strength, Conditioning and Flexibility. For more information about Marla and her company, Have Fun with Fitness. visit http://mbaltberg.wixsite.com/havefunwithfitness.

* Dr. Barthelemy Liabaud, MD, Interventional Pain Management at The Spine and Pain Institute of New York, specializes in neuromuscular issues, treating patients for pain management. Previously he held positions in the surgery departments at both NYU Langone Hospital and Hospital for Special Surgery. For more information visit www.spinepainny.com.