When we have back pain, it isn't just our back muscles that stop cooperating. Our gluteals (read: butt muscles) almost always stop playing well with others and in fact they tend to not play at all.

Check your gluteal strength with this week's exercise:

When we have a back or hip injury or period of pain, the gluteal muscles just stop firing.

The kinesiologists who study this kind of stuff don't really know why. In fact, they don't know what happens first: Do the gluteals stop working first or Does the back start hurting first. Interesting question.

I'd be really interested in hearing if you can 'feel' this exercise. If you have back pain you have to really, really focus on making those gluteals squeeze. Don't let those butt muscles get away with just being a saggy mass on the back of your tuckus.

If you have back pain, this exercise is a keeper. Keep it in your archive of exercises you must do to increase the health of your spine.

So now join me. Scroll up and Push play! Karena

P.S. Let me know if you have any questions about this series of Pilates exercises for pain relief.

Comments (1)

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Love what you're doing!
written by Joanna, September 21, 2009

Love what you’re doing, Karena! I just purchased your book “Osteo Pilates” and am excited to get started on the exercises. I have a question, though; you say some exercises should not be performed it you already have osteoporosis but is that a blanket statement or are there stages (ie. early, intermediate or advanced) in which you can still perform some of the exercises? Like jumping, I hear it’s awesome for building bone density but is it out of the question if my osteoporosis is in the early stages?

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