The human spinal column is made up of 33 bones:
7 vertebrae in the cervical region, 12 in the thoracic region, 5 in the lumbar region, 5 in the sacral region and 4 in the coccygeal region.

It is not a straight line but curves naturally, and it needs to!

The cervical spine curves gently inwards, the thoracic spine gently outwards, and the lumbar spine inwards again.

A neutral spine is the position that the back should be in.

So when in a Pilates class you are lying on your back, in a supine position – and you are asked to maintain a neutral spine during a specific movement, you need to make sure that the natural curves of your back remain as they are.

This means that there should be space between your lower back and the mat. The goal is to use your abdominals not to feel any effort in your lower back.

Other times, when you perform Pilates exercises in a supine position, you will be asked to imprint your spine on the mat. This means that your spine will be flat on the mat, and the reason for it is to protect the lower back.

If you are suffering from lower back pain, working with your spine imprinted on the mat will avoid you putting more strain on your muscles, and it’s easier to activate your deep abdominals. That is great, but is it functional?

So, at the beginning of your Pilates session, tilt your pelvis back and forward to feel the difference between an imprinted back, an arched back, and the neutral position in between the two.

And now that you know which is the neutral position of your back, how can you maintain it? For this you need a mat, a Pilates instructor, and some practise 😉

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