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5 Best Pilates Exercises to Reduce Lower Back Pain with Free PDF Guide
Here are my 5 favorite Pilates exercises for lower back pain. You will notice an immediate release in your low back once you incorporate these Pilates at home exercises for lower back pain into your routine. Don’t forget to download the 5 Best Pilates Exercises for Reducing Lower Back Pain FREE PDF GUIDE to save these exercises!
Lower back pain is one of the most common reasons people begin a Pilates at home regimen, and why 90% of my clients book their initial studio Pilates session with me. Back pain is also the sole reason why I began my own Pilates journey 10 years ago.
I’ve dealt with low back pain since an early age. Every day after my gymnastics practices were done, my mom would drive me straight to my chiropractic appointments to try and treat my back pain. I would get adjustments, iced, e-stim, and ultrasound treatments. I also had bone scans, MRIs, and a magnitude of other things to find out what was causing me so much low back pain. No answers ever came from all of those appointments, and ultimately I figured out ways to manage the pain throughout my entire gymnastics career. In college, the low back pain I was experiencing became more and more intense as training became more and more demanding. Once I stopped gymnastics, the pain was manageable, and I started doing yoga and working out on my own.
After graduation, I landed myself a traditional 9 to 5 corporate job as a buyer sitting in a cubicle all day. At the young age of 23, my low back pain was so debilitating I could not sit at my desk beyond 2pm. I tried asking for a sit-to-stand desk, and even brought in my own stability ball to sit on. Both of which were shot down by HR, and I found myself back to square one when I was 14-years-old… Chiropractic visits,… massage,… yoga,… and I was even trying dry needling. All of which helped temporarily, but still I had no definitive answer to what was causing my pain.
My mom suggested I try Pilates. I booked a complimentary session at my local gym and told the instructor that I used to be a gymnast, that I was strong, and I worked out 3 to 5 times a week but had never tried Pilates. The instructor absolutely lit my body up in more ways than I ever imagined. I still remember that session to this day. I walked away sweating, shaking, and limber. My low back felt incredible and I felt alive again! I was hooked. I signed up for weekly reformer classes and started incorporating Pilates at home.
Low back pain was chronic for me until I found Pilates. Although I was very active in my early years, it was the sedentary lifestyle that caused the flare ups to be so chronic and I knew I had to do something. Research suggests 80-90% of people will suffer from at least one episode of low back pain during their lives and that percentage is expected to rise. And this is why I am sharing my top 5 exercises for low back pain with you below.
Pilates is recommended for those with lower back pain because:
Even the most well-trained athletes, like myself, have adopted years of incorrect muscle training and activation creating lots of bad habits. You have probably heard that “a weak core is the reason for low back pain”, so therefore you might invest in a general core training program or incorporate more sit-ups in your workout routine. While yes, this can help, but more often than not you’re reinforcing those bad habits. Pilates is designed to help you retrain correct muscle activation of the deep core muscles and reversing those years of bad habits. Pilates focuses on the “How” of the movement and not just moving to move.
Weak, underactive, and tight glutes create imbalances in the pelvis and thighs and instability in the lower spine. Tight glutes can cause lower back pain as well as weak glutes. When it comes to addressing lower back pain with Pilates, it is important to equally stretch and strengthen the hips and glutes muscles that support the lower back area to alleviate some of this lower back pain. The act of exercising your glutes will also teach you important cues about your body’s correct alignment.
When we sit, we are often relaxed in a slouched state. Poor posture can result in rib flaring, pulling you out of your correct neutral alignment. Pilates helps you become aware of your pelvis alignment, correct rib cage position, and shoulder positioning. Learning proper body awareness will allow you to continue to work on these elements beyond the physical workout and into your daily life such as when you’re sitting at your desk during the work day, while you’re riding your bike, and standing waiting in a long line.
When properly activating your core muscles, you need to train yourself how to improve your transverse abdominis (TVA) strength. The Transverse Abdominis is the deep abdominal muscle that directly supports your lumbar spine (low spine). If you are experiencing lower back pain, a weak TVA might be the culprit.
Weakness in the transverse abdominis equates to a lack of support and stability of the spine when doing everyday tasks like sitting up from a reclined position or picking something up off the ground. Your TVA muscle acts like a corset, wrapping around the body like a back brace. Essentially, once strengthened and properly engaged, the muscular system of the TVA is your back brace, creating a strong, rigid cylinder!
Here are my favorite 5 Pilates exercises for low back pain. By incorporating these 5 simple, but not easy, Pilates at home exercises for lower back pain into your routine, you will notice an immediate release in your low back. Furthermore, you will have less flare ups and chronic back pain. These 5 Pilates exercises will help keep your spine supple, your hips strong and supple, and your muscles stretched so you can keep doing the daily life activities you enjoy. Work up to 10-15 repetitions of each exercise, and move slowly with intention to get the most body awareness out of each movement. Download the FREE PDF Guide below to save these exercises on your device or print.
A small, but mighty, movement. If I were to suggest one exercise to alleviate lower back pain almost immediately after performing it, the pelvic tilt is it. This is a simple and effective exercise that can be done anywhere!
Goal: Create length in the low back to support the spine.
Benefit: Gets the deep core muscle switched “on” to build strength.
Instructions:
This exercise is a favorite of mine because it promotes rotation and stretching through the lower back where I feel the most tightness and have the hardest time releasing.
Goal: Strengthen the oblique muscles and enhance spinal rotation.
Benefit: Rotation helps to stretch the back muscles.
Instructions:
Back bending and extension exercises are my least favorite exercises. In Pilates, we like to say, “The exercises you hate the most are the ones you need the most!” The Swan Extension exercise is so hard, but so good for us to reverse “texting” neck and any forward hunching.
Goal: Improve posture.
Benefit: Stretches abdominals and hip flexors, and mobilizes the mid/upper (thoracic) spine.
Instructions:
I love the Roll Up exercise for so many reasons, but the main reason being the enormous stretch I get in my hamstrings and low back. This exercise also tests your core strength and control.
Goal: Mobilize your spine.
Benefit: Strengthens your abdominal muscles and stretches your hamstrings.
Instructions:
You know those exercises you have a love/hate relationship with? Yes, the Pilates Thigh Stretch is one of those. Don’t let the word “stretch” in its name fool you! This exercise is no joke if you have tight quads like me. It will really benefit you by providing a huge stretch in both your quads and hip flexors.
Goal: Stretch hip flexors and tight quads.
Benefit: Strengthens the back of the thighs, seat, and abdominal muscles. Encourages length in the spine.
Instructions:
I hope you try these 5 exercises to help manage and treat your lower back pain with Pilates at home! Download your FREE Pilates Exercises for Back Pain PDF Guide HERE to keep these 5 exercises with you at all times for when you need them most. Learn these exercises at home or on-the-go. This FREE guide includes each exercise above, how-to-steps, and demonstration photos so you can always have it with you for reference whenever needed.
Ready for more Pilates exercises for lower back pain? Here are 3 of my favorite Pilates for beginners classes on my YouTube Channel to help you get started with Pilates at home today!
In this class, we focus on mobilizing our upper and mid back, as well as our shoulders where we can hold tension and feel stiffness that may travel into our neck. This is a key area of discomfort for me too! The upper back & shoulder stretches and exercises in this video will guide you through gentle movements that may help you pinpoint the main causes of tightness in your body.
Fitness Level: 1 (Beginner)
Equipment: 36′ Foam Roller, Exercise Mat
A Pilates restorative stretch and flow routine focusing on hip opening, hamstring stretching, rotation and with a nice bit of breathing and relaxation. This is a great stretching routine for tight hips and hamstrings to improve flexibility and prevent injuries.
Fitness Level: 1 (Beginner)
Equipment: Exercise Mat, Yoga Strap
This class is great for the rehearsed Pilates student to review the basics or a beginner just starting out. This workout offers a few variations to the classical Pilates order and incorporates some relaxing stretches within the flow to fuse yoga and Pilates together. PILATESBODY by Kayla’s on demand Pilates workouts use minimal equipment to help you live a balanced life while being able to workout anywhere! Download my App for 1 month FREE.
Fitness Level: 1 (Beginner)
Equipment: Exercise Mat
Share your favorite exercise below in the comment section! If you haven’t tried any yet, I’d love to chat with you on how to start!
Your Friend & Pilates Expert,
Kayla Brugger
Founder of PILATESBODY by Kayla
Founder of PILATESBODY On-Demand
Hi, I'm Kayla Brugger. Certified Pilates Instructor & Minnesota Mama of 2.