Pilates Exercises To Strengthen The Back

Pilates can help improve the strength of your core and the health of your back. In the July 2006 issue of the "Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy," researchers reported that back pain sufferers experienced more relief from a regular Pilates practice than they did from traditional medical therapies. While most Pilates exercises emphasize multiple muscle groups of the core, several exercises focus almost exclusively on strengthening the back.

Spine Stretch

The spine stretch forward is a fundamental Pilates move that helps you learn how to articulate your spine and bring about good posture. The spine stretch is performed by sitting on a mat with your legs extended long in front of you, hip distance apart.
As you inhale, sit up tall as if you were trying to touch your head to the ceiling. Extend your arms in front of you, parallel to the floor. Curl your chin toward your chest and round down toward the belly. Stretch slightly forward as you exhale and contract your abdominals. Gradually reverse the roll and repeat about three times.

Swimming

Swimming is a more advanced exercise that requires back strength and power. The key to the move is controlling the movement from the center of the body and squeezing the buttocks together to protect the lower back.
To perform the move, lie face first on the mat and extend your arms long overhead while drawing the legs together. Lift your arms, legs, chest and head out of the mat. Then, lift your left leg and your right arm slightly higher, immediately switch lifted limbs, continuing to alternate as you steadily inhale for a count of five and exhale for a count of five.
Repeat for two or three sets of the inhalations and exhalations.

Swan Dive

The swan dive is another advanced move that stretches and strengthens all the muscles of the back along with those of the neck and shoulders. If you have a bad back, Brooke Siler, author of "The Pilates Body," recommends performing the stretch portion of the exercise only.
Begin by lying on your stomach. Press your palms into the mat beneath your shoulders. With the tops of the feet connecting to the mat, squeeze your legs together. Inhale and draw your navel into your back and straighten your arms to lift your chest. Lower back down to the mat and repeat several times as a warm-up stretch for the full exercise.
To do the full swan dive, as you extend your arms and reach your chest to the ceiling, release your hands and inhale as you rock onto your breastbone with the arms extended long in front of you and legs extended straight behind you. Use momentum and rock back, lifting your chest as if you were throwing a ball behind your head. Continue to rock back and forth for five total swan dives.