Trunk Flexion Stretches

[chobbs]

One of the goals I have been chasing for years now is a Pilates style roll-up. My trunk flexion is quite minimal and is one of the core mobility issues I have struggled with during those years. Basically, I can just barely get my scapula off of the floor before hitting a complete stand-still in the movement. Plow pose is the same basic thing, it is like the movement just stops with my feet well above the floor and doesn't yield further no matter how long I hang out in the pose.

I have experimented with the standing lower back stretch and noted that it is my abdominal wall that notices this the most. Specifically the area that gets pressed into my ribs, it pretty much doesn't yield at all. This is fairly typical for my body - a lot of residual tension in the muscles.

I am happy to keep working the above lower back stretch, but if there is anything specific for this issue that I could be doing I would love to know so I could give it a bit more focus.

- Chris

[Kit_L]

Hello Chris,

We have a really large number of flexion stretches; I am in the UK right now, and do not have either book with me (I had to bring most of my video shooting equipment with me and that limited how much weight I could bring for other stuff, like books!).

I am hoping that another teacher may add remarks here, perhaps with exercise numbers from either book and possibly even page numbers. And please ensure that you have looked through all of the 70-odd exercises on the YouTube channel as well in case there is something relevant there.

But let me make a few general remarks that may be helpful. Olivia has been chasing a perfect pike (forward bend over straight legs with feet pointed) for many years. In her case, the experience of bending forward was felt in the hamstrings but that was not the true limitation in her body. It was not until she practised what we call the modified plough pose many times and I did some fascial release work over her lumbar spine area that her body managed to complete the position. When you practice the modified plough pose and your feet and not touching the floor you must put them on a box or against the wall to reduce the sense of strain. Any perceived exertion in any pose actually limits the performance of it past a certain point. Resting the soles of the feet against the wall or the legs on the box behind you takes any anxiety (or sense of it) away and all relevant muscles can relax.

And talking about the same pose, if you feel that your abdominal muscles are pressing into your ribs (or however you described this) what's happening there is the abdominal muscles are contracting to try and help you get deeper into the pose. And just because they are contracting they will not be soft enough to actually allow the full flexion. The effect that you have described is also very common in spine lateral flexion exercises as well (the muscles on the side that you are contracting to will often cramp or spasm). The secret is to use other limbs to support you to get into the position and in the case of the pike make absolutely certain there is zero tension in the abdominal muscles before you even initiate the forward band. This is the reason why I coined the term apprehension reflex as one of the four reflexes that are necessary to understand and feel and influence to be effective in the work.

All remarks made in relation to the pike will be relevant in Pilates roll-up exercise as well, with the additional complication that the abdominal muscles will have to be contracted in this exercise. Accordingly the full flexion pose will have to be achieved in a relaxed state before you can even attempt a reasonable version of this pose with the abdominal muscles contracted. This is one of the reasons why our work has found so much favour in the Pilates community presently—if the fundamental range of movement is not available in the body it is impossible to do this movement properly.

Please post any follow-up questions when you get to it. KL

[chobbs]

Thanks for the thoughts Kit. The standing lower back stretch as well as upper/mid-back stretch from the you-tube channel are what I have been utilizing. I will search the forums for info regarding the pike stretches, which is another horrendous movement for me. Nothing special about the roll-up, I just have had it as a goal movement since I felt it would signify true progress with my spinal mobility when I finally got it.

Apprehension reflex is a good term for it. I definitely notice it on certain movements more than others, but I can't say the plough pose is one of them. I will take your advice and practice it with my feet supported though when I do practice the movement. However, is there anything I can be doing to avoid the abdominal tension in the standing lower back stretch since you indicate it should be free of tension before bending forward?

The other question that jumps to mind is there anything I should be evaluating to determine how to pick one lower back stretch over another (or any area for that matter)? Right now I have just been doing whatever feels the most useful for the area I am trying to target (constrained by equipment on hand, location, etc.) - is this okay or is there a better approach?

- Chris