The Pilates exercise system emphasizes the muscles of the core which, the American Council on Exercise explains, consists of the hips, abdominals and back. Pilates may be performed on a mat with only your body weight, or using one of several pieces of equipment. While most Pilates exercises incorporate back stretching, strengthening and massaging while emphasizing other parts of the core, a few exercises focus almost solely on the back muscles.
Spine Stretch Forward
The spine stretch forward helps you connect with the natural curvature of the spine and enhances good posture. It is a basic Pilates move that helps you understand how to perform other, more advanced exercises with correct form. Sit up tall with your legs extended out in front of you. Separate the legs about hip-width apart. Reach your arms out in front of your chest and flex your toes toward you. As you inhale, sit up tall. Draw your chin down into your chest and round your back down as if you were rolling off a wall and trying to create a letter "C" with your spine. As you stretch forward, exhale and draw in your abdominals. Reverse the movement with control and repeat three times.
Swimming
The swimming exercise emphasizes the muscles along the spine. Begin the move by lying face first on a mat with your body fully extended and the arms reaching past your ears. Gently lift your legs, head, chest and arms up off of the mat. Raise your right arm and left leg even higher. Switch to the left arm and right leg. Continue to alternate limbs with control as though you were fluttering in water. Inhale for a long count of five and exhale for a count of five as you perform the alternating movement. Repeat for two to three breath cycles.
Reformer
The Pilates reformer is a machine that looks much like a bed with multiple pulleys and a sliding carriage. The resistance offered by the reformer enhances the precision and effect of a Pilates workout. Performing a routine on the reformer can be a positive treatment for sufferers of back pain, reports a study in the July 2006 issue of the "Journal of Orthopedic Sports and Physical Therapy." In this study, researchers at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, compared traditional medical treatments for back pain with a series of exercises on the reformer. Pilates reformer participants reported higher functionality and less pain than those seeking help from health care specialists---even a year later.
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