*Equipment Needed :     Reformer.

**Disclaimer: This is NOT a dangerous exercise. That said, some people feel uncomfortable in this position with the legs overhead causing a shortness of breath. If this is you, please refrain from doing this exercise. It’s ok! We do not by any means want you to hurt yourself, listen to your body, it is telling you that it does not prefer this position.

Otherwise, if you struggle getting the legs back, in this video we will give you modifications and steps to work yourself eventually into the final position, starting with the knees bent. Sometimes it is just a question of conditioning the body to a new feeling and position it is unfamiliar with.

Class Level :     ALL levels.

The Course of this Class :     The Short Spine is a marvelous exercise which is more like a back massage as it decompresses the spine and tractions it out. It is by far one of my favorites for relieving low back pain, but that’s just me! In this tutorial we’ll walk through each step of the movement with you as well as show you a couple different variations as there are many. We’ll cover safety and proper alignment. We’ll talk about the benefits of this exercise as well. We hope that the demonstration and explanation today will give you a better understanding of this exercise, it’s by far one of our favs!

Pilates depends on certain technical foundations, understanding these better will set you up for success in your practice; protect you from injuring yourself; as well as teach you the best alignment your body can achieve! Plus, practicing with the right form, you’ll get A TON more out of the exercise, your level will increase quickly if you stick to it, and so will your results!

See also these tutorials/how to’s : How To: The Long Stretch, How To: The Down Stretch, How To: Neutral Spine STANDING, How To: Shoulder Positioning, How To: Serve a Tray Series, How To: Pilates Breath the Foundation of it all

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