Pilates Classes Can Help Back Pain Sufferers in Westwood
Studies have shown that back pain affects at least 80% of the population at some point, with 26% of U.S. adults suffering from low back pain at any given time. Rather than treating your chronic back pain with painkillers, back pain is completely treatable and preventable with regular Pilates practice. Pilates works to strengthen your entire core, including glutes and back muscles intended to support your lower back and reduce pains and aches. Increased flexibility, mobility, and stability are also gained through practicing Pilates.
At Sheppard Method Pilates in Westwood, we can help address back pain of all sorts, addressing a number of root issues such as poor posture, weak core muscles, or even overuse and injury. Through our varied Westwood Pilates classes, you can empower yourself to live a pain-free life.
Want to learn more about how Pilates can help relieve your chronic back pain? Contact Sheppard Method Pilates in Westwood to get started!
How Pilates in Westwood Can Reduce Back Pain
Back pain and sciatica can significantly impact overall wellness, mentally and physically. Pilates is a low-impact practice that focus on core strength, mobility, and overall bodily awareness that can help provide relief for chronic pain and discomfort by addressing the root causes of back pain.
Common causes of chronic back pain include:
- Bad posture, inclusive of desk and sleep posture
- Overtraining or overuse of muscles
- Improper form or technique when exercising
- Poor flexibility and mobility in the back
- Tech neck
- Weak core muscles
- Previous injury and/or other health conditions
- Sedentary lifestyle and/or obesity
Pilates Strengthens the Core
The literal core of Pilates is, of course, core strength! Pilates emphasizes strengthening the core muscles, which play a crucial role in supporting the spine and lower back. Pilates movements target the deep abdominal muscles, including the transverse abdominis, obliques—as well as the glutes, hamstrings, and pelvic floor muscles. Strengthening and stabilizing these muscle groups will help to properly support your spine, including your back and neck, which will reduce overall back pain since your back muscles will not be overcompensating for weak core muscles.
Pilates Improves Posture
In addition to building overall strength, Pilates encourages proper spinal alignment through consistent support and muscle memory. As you strengthen and lengthen your core and back muscles, you will also be providing your spine the strength and support necessary to maintain proper posture whether you are working out, sleeping, working, or resting.
Pilates Increases Flexibility
Poor flexibility and mobility in the postural chain and especially the T-spine in the back can disallow proper movement, muscular function, and inhibit strength necessary to support your spine. Pilates is considered a mobility workout and is a game-changer for those that spend a lot of time in one position (such as working at a desk), or for hybrid athletes, especially those that weightlift. Having proper mobility and flexibility of the spine allows for proper form, posture, and encourages strength-building.
Pilates Promotes Balance and Stability
Any increase in daily movement can help increase balance and stability—even something as simple as increasing your daily walking. Movement encourages necessary lubrication and functionality of the joints and surrounding muscles; Pilates ups the ante by incorporating strength training while increasing stability and challenging balance. Healthy balance and stability is linked to longevity, and will improve your form in other exercising, your daily posture, and actually add years to your life!
Pilates Encourages Proper Breathing
Do you know how important proper breathing is within your everyday life? Shallow breathing can actually contribute to poor posture and vice versa by not allowing full use and expansion of the diaphragm. Proper breathing encourages proper spinal alignment, healthy rotation in the mid-back, ease overall back tension, as well as properly feeding the muscles oxygen in order to encourage muscle repair and functionality.
Additionally, Pilates emphasizes the mind-body connection through breathwork, which trickles into your everyday breathing habits, improving overall body awareness and health on and off the mat.
Pilates Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Often times, back pain is a result of back tension. Stress, anxiety, depression, and overall poor mental health can cause you to increase tension in the body by subconsciously tensing up and clenching your muscles throughout the day. That tension inhibits your muscles from naturally releasing from a contraction, resulting in shortened, weakened muscles. In addition to the physiological benefits of Pilates and overall health muscles and function, Pilates also helps to release stress-relieving endorphins to help you to mentally relax your muscles and allow them to rest at a normal state without constant tension that can lead to chronic pain and dysfunction.
Sheppard Method Pilates in Westwood
At Sheppard Method Pilates, we want you to live your life pain free! As chronic back pain is one of the most commonly cited reasons for starting Pilates, our classes are designed for all levels, interests, and reasons. For a holistic, drug-free approach to treating chronic back pain of all kinds, it is never too late to start practicing Pilates in Westwood and begin living the good life.
Call the Westwood Pilates instructors at Sheppard Method Pilates to sign up for Pilates classes, today.
