Class 3: Spine
1h 13m
This class is all about the Spine, and we'll throw in some Pelvic movements as well.
Equipment Needed: Yoga Blocks. If you have a stability ball or resistance/stretching band they could come in handy, but not necessary.
It's important to note, the fundamental motion of our spine (unlike other joints) is Flexion and Extension. So this will be a huge emphasis in the class. Though I do have some rotational movements in here as well.
Proper Spinal Segmentation is critical for the health and strength of our Spine. When we lack segmentation, the forces being placed into the spine will be distributed to to the sections above and bellow the segments that lack proper motion. This can lead to injury or dysfunction. Like low back pain, "throwing your back out", or issues with the T-Spine and Neck.
It's crazy that we obsess about the “core” in the fitness industry. It's also crazy that when we think of the core, we mostly think of the abs and obliques. Often times when people struggle with back pain, they’re being told to strengthen their “core”. Though we continue to neglect the spine.
If we focus on spine-specific movements instead, we can still strengthen the abs and obliques in the process, and we'll have a strong & healthy spine as well.
THE PELVIS:
Moving the pelvis can be confusing for a lot of people, which is why placing our hands on our hips initially as a guide can help us to understand the motions. We go through this in this class when lying down on your back:
Posterior pelvic tilt: rolling the hips up towards you to flatten the spine
Anterior pelvic tilt: rolling the hips down creating an arch in your low back
Think of the Kim Kardashian butt when going into an anterior tilt, as if you’re sticking your butt out behind you.
Whereas a posterior tilt, you’re tucking your pelvis in.
These cues will help you with the motions regardless of what position you place your body in.
One other important note. Many people try to improve their Thoracic Extension, and drill T-Spine extension exercises with little to no success. Our anatomical makeup of our spine doesn't allow for many degrees of freedom in extension, so we're actually better off drilling T-Spine Flexion and Rotation in order to create more global mobility, which will help improve T-Spine Extension as well.
Time to make your spine oh so fine!