Strengthen Your Back: Pilates’ Modified Swimming

Wednesday, 31 March 2010 12:55

Strengthen Your Back: Pilates’ Modified Swimming

By Karena Thek Lineback

It’s possible to exercise until your muscles give out and still get no improvement in your bone density. So is exercise a huge waste of time?  No. Especially not if stronger back muscles help you reduce the chance of having a vertebral fracture!

Exercises that help extend the spine can help build strength in the muscles that protect our vertebrae and improve our posture.

“Modified Swimming” is a great Pilates exercise to start with. As you improve, you can add weights. At our Pilates studio, we use ankle weights that we position flat between the shoulder blades.

How to Do “Modified Swimming”

• Lie on your stomach with your forehead resting on your fingertips.

• Lift your head and shoulders off the mat, keeping the head “glued” to the fingertips. Do not try to lift very high. If you keep your head on your hands you will not go too high and put too much pressure into the low back.  Keep your shoulder blades drawn down away from the ears.  Press the pubic bone into the mat.

• Inhale to prepare.  Exhale as you lift your upper body. Inhale to return.

• Repeat ten times.

• Remember to breathe!

I encourage you to exercise safely. Exercise within the recommended guidelines for reducing fracture risk—do not do spine flexion or twisting, or forced external rotation of the hip. Reduce your fracture risk and live fully!

I wish you the best of health.

About Karena Thek Lineback

Karena is the host of the PBS special, “Pilates for Healthy Bodies.” Her DVD of the same title includes a 25-minute workout that is safe for osteoporosis. Karena began sharing her knowledge on safe exercise for osteoporosis in 2003 with her book, “OsteoPilates; Increase Bone Density, Reduce Fracture Risk, Look and Feel Great!” (Career Press). Karena writes regularly on health and how exercise can improve it on her blog at www.OsteoPilates.com