Lower back stretches are very important for Pilates exercises. Learn how to do a lower back Pilates stretch with tips from a fitness instructor in this Pilates video.
Keep shoulders flat
Keep flat leg straight
Press knee to side
Ashley Orlando has been a Pilates instructor since April 2007. Ashley currently instructs at Core Pilates NYC, Equinox Century City, My Pilates Body and Revolution Pilates.
So this next stretch is for the lower back. You want to make sure that you're completely flat onto the floor. You're going to bend your right knee in towards your chest like [PH] Alex has here, and you're going to keep your shoulders completely flat. You don't want to twist your shoulders off. Take a deep inhale. And as you exhale, you're going to press that knee towards the opposite side, so you get a good stretch in your lower back here. Notice how Alex's left leg is completely straight. Keep pressing all the way down. Take a deep inhale. And exhale, try to relax those muscles and stretch and twist in that waist line. Good. So get a good stretch for that lower back and stretch out your flexibility. Bring it back in towards the center, and we're going to do it one more time. Take a deep inhale, go for it yourself. And exhale, press the right knee down towards the side. Keep twisting the back, keep pressing that shoulder down, twisting that waist line. And then exhale, right back up. Bend that knee in towards your chest, and we're going to switch to our left side. Left knee comes in towards your chest. Take a deep inhale. And exhale, cross it over, keeping that right leg completely straight and twisting that right shoulder all the way down, press all the way. Deep inhale here. And exhale, try to relax the muscles and stretch a little bit further than you did before. Good. Deep inhale. Bring it back towards the center, draw your leg all the way down. That was our lower back stretch.
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