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Pelvis

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I recently attended a workshop which included detailed information on the pelvis and pelvic floor. The pelvis, or as i like to refer to it, bowl of soup, is extremely important when practicing Pilates.
Think about all that travels through that area… Then think about what area(s) of your body are weak. For most it tends to be centered in the pelvic region. When practicing pilates we talk about your “Powerhouse” and “pulling it in” or “in and up”. This is not an easy concept to most and takes a few private lessons to really figure it out.
To help one get a better understanding of how to engage this area, there are a few steps to practice.
1. Check out your profile in the mirror completely relaxed. What do you notice? Is your pelvis tilted back or forward? It may be hard to notice standing up, so lay down with your knees bent and take note of what happens to your back. Does it arch where you can slip your hand underneath or is your back pressed firmly and pelvis tilted up towards your nose?
2. For the sake of discussion, lets say you find your pelvis tilts forward.
3. Lay on your back or stand against the wall with your feet about a foot away. With your hands below your ribs, take a deep breath into your hands and exhale every atom of air out of your lungs. Feel the upper abdominals engage and how it opens up the back. Repeat a few times to get the idea.
4. Move your hands so the heel of your hand is on the “hip” bone, fingertips towards the pubic bone. Take a breath again into the hands and try to engage the lower abdominals as you exhale. This exercise is going to be a bit harder.
*Engaging the lower abdominals is always the hardest since, over time, we cease their use. Hence why most of us experience low back pain, tight muscles through the lower back, limited range of motion in the hips and a few other issues. *
5. While engaging the powerhouse, be sure to initiate the work from your pubococcygeus, or Kegel muscle which both men and women have. If you are not sure what either of those are, stop the flow of urine and hold in a fart. We all have experienced this feeling in those muscles and that usually makes sense to most.
Now, go back to the mirror and squeeze internally, “stop a pee, hold a fart”, engage in the upper abdominals and watch how the pelvis will re-align itself.
Should you have trouble with this still, consult your local Pilates instructor for more info.

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