The beautiful, flexible spine.

Oh, the beautiful spine.

It holds us up all day. It balances a large head on its top. It holds a pelvis on its bottom and nestles a rib cage on it, too.

Wow! That’s a large ask for these bones!

Joseph Pilates -the inventor of the Pilates System (though he called it Contrology) said, “You are as old as your spine is flexible.”

As someone who herniated 3 discs in their low back, which is what brought me to reformer pilates, I quickly learned the importance of the health of my spine.

If you’ve heard the words herniation, bulging disc, stenosis, spondylolisthesis, or arthritis, you know that you have a compromised spine.  

So how do we stay flexible as we age? And by age, I’m talking from the minute we are born. This doesn’t just begin when the doctor utters the words above, like what happened to me. 

~Breathe! Deep Breathing will move your ribs and nurture your spine, work your diaphragm and pelvic floor. 

~Move your spine in all six directions every day.

~Strengthen your muscles to support your bones.

~As you move into Perimenopause, be aware that your lower levels of estrogen affect your bone health.

~Do Core strengthening exercises-yes to Pilates.

So what are the six directions that our spines move? 

~Flexion - bending forward (for example, cat pose)

~Extension - bending backward (for example, cow pose)

~Lateral flexion right and left sides (arms overhead and side bend to each side)

~Twist - Twisting to the right and then the left. 

These six moves can be done even before you get out of bed! They can be done at your desk, at the kitchen table, or while standing in line at the grocery store. 

If you live mostly in the sagittal plane (i.e., walking, running, most weight lifting), think about the six ways your spine moves and incorporate them into your movement snacks.

Keeping our spine flexible and strong will help with our longevity, prevent fractures from a fall, and help keep our spines from causing so much pain in our back and neck.