Are you suffering from lower back pain that is making you pop pain killers or sticking on medical plasters every night?

Are you going to weekly massages just to alleviate lower back pain, shoulder and neck tensions? And annoyed with the fact that the pains come back the next day?

Have you considered seeking medical advice and visiting chiropractor to relieve the terrible pains and aches?

I say, stop popping the pills and starting doing Pilates! Most lower back pains and body aches are a result of bad posture while sitting, standing and walking. Regular massages will help but they are not a long term solution to your pain woes. Pilates is the only method proven successful to alleviate pains and increase functional strength.

The next question is how exactly does Pilates relieve back pains?

Before we touch on the benefits of Pilates, we need to understand the way our body function. There are 3 things that you need to know about your muscles. First, the bigger muscles will always be the first to react and perform the movement. Just because they are bigger, they think they can perform the movement better. Secondly, the more frequently one muscle works, the bigger it becomes over time. Thirdly, when muscles over-work themselves, it will result in soreness and pains. Hence this is a never-ending vicious cycle – big muscle fight to work, the more they work, the bigger they become and hence they will always be the first to response accepting never-ending work.

Next, we need to touch briefly on the anatomy of your body. Imagine for every movement you make, there are 3 layers of muscles assisting the movement. Layer 3 muscles are the biggest group of muscles closest to your skin, the muscles that gives your body a nice definition. Layer 2 muscles lie beneath Layer 3 muscles and are smaller in size. Layer 1 muscles lie beneath Layer 2 muscles and they are the closest to your skeletal structure such as your spine and ribs.

When your brain tells your arm to move, the biggest set of muscles, Layer 3 muscles aka biceps, will always try to be the first to response and perform the movement. As such, Layer 2 and Layer 1 muscles weaken over time and are unable to provide the support required to hold your skeletal frame. Further more, Layer 3 muscles will over-exert resulting in the body pains that we experience daily. If your calf muscles are sore from running 5km jog, how will your Layer 3 lower back muscles feel if they have to support your torso every time you sit, walk or lie down? This is the origin of the pain!

Pilates strengthens your Layer 1 muscles or your postural muscles – your core. Every Pilates exercise aims to work the Layer 1 muscles of your entire body to make them stronger. This means that the next time your brain tells your arm to move, your Layer 1, 2 and 3 muscles will work with each other to perform the movement rather than relying on the Layer 3 muscles. In other words, Pilates reduce muscles imbalances and reduce the work of Layer 3 muscles, giving them time to rest and recover. Strengthening Layer 1 and 2 muscles also mean that your skeletal frame is better supported and you will appear taller and more confident.

At the end of your Pilates classes, your body awareness is enhanced, your aches are reduced. You will bring Pilates movement methods into your daily activities. There is increased awareness of how you sit, how you stand or how you move and relate those habits to the aches and pains and injuries you have or have had in the past.