Body Basics - A Pilates Newsletter - Neutral Pelvis

Body With Soul Inc January, 2006 Louise Forscher

8601 International Ave #273 Canoga Park,Ca 91304 Phone: 818 775 9548 Cell: 818 599 0901

LouiseForscher@sbcglobal.net Website: pilates-exercise-and-equipment.com









Issue 2

Well hello!!

I trust your New Year is starting off well and the New Year's resolutions are entering into "I'm here to stay" mode.

This time of year is busy for exercise - lots of New Year's resolutions get going and some carry on.

Here's the hot Body Basic for the New Year.

Neutral Pelvis.

What the heck is that?

Well the pelvis is the bony wide structure at the bottom of your back, commonly and mistakenly called the hips.

It is the weight bearing center of the body supporting the trunk and head above it and providing a connection for the legs below.

It has an important supporting function and its muscles need to be in good order and strong. However, the pelvis can move, tilt forward and back, side to side and rotate. It must move for the walking movement to happen and it uses all its type of movement in doing so.

The resting point from which pelvic movement occurs is neutral pelvis. It is the most even balanced position for the pelvis giving balanced usage in the muscles of the pelvis and the joints and muscles above and below it.

Generally and ideally you are able to move easily from neutral and back to it. One wants to try and work from it. What happens is the pelvis through various reasons gets stuck in an unbalanced position. With resultant unbalance of muscle and joint usage leading to weakness in some areas, over tightness and often back pain.

So how do you find neutral pelvis? Stand sideways to a mirror so you can see your pelvis side on. Place your hands on the top of your "hips" so you can feel it move and soften your knees.

Now tilt the top of your pelvis where your hands are back and forwards as far as it will go in each direction. It's quite a small movement - try to keep your upper body and knees and legs out of it.

When you have this, start to make the movements smaller and smaller until you hit a neutral sort of stable point in between. That is likely to be neutral pelvis.

Now lay down back on the floor, knees up, feet flat on the floor and do the same thing.

Once you feel you have a neutral pelvis here is how to test it.

Place the heel of your hands on each bony headlight on the front of your hips and your fingers down towards your pubic bone. If you have neutral pelvis you will have a flat palm. If the hand tilts down the pelvis is too far forward. If the hand slants up you have the pelvis tilted back. Adjust.

Also you should have an approximate pea sized space between the floor and your lower back area.

There it is. Work on it, finding it going in and out of neutral pelvis. You may find you have difficulty going one way or the other - this is due to tight muscles because you have been stuck in an out of neutral position for awhile. Don't worry - keep at it - also rotate the pelvis round on each side and rotate it round and round. It will help to loosen the muscles.

Next time you walk, notice where your pelvis is.

Ok, so let me have your feedback on if this helped or it didn't - or you didn't get it whatever.

Let me know what you would like to know.

Finally here are some successes from my Pilates clients.

1

"Pilates has changed my body. I have not even done 10 sessions yet and have noticed incredible changes in all parts of my body. My legs are stronger and more defined. My arms have become shapelier as well. My core is strong and my stomach has flattened. I have been doing Pilates only once a week and cannot believe how much change I have seen and so quickly. I recommend this to anyone who wants to see results."

2

"Louise gets down to your core. She educates you by way of making you do it. I had taken Pilates before but honestly I didn't have the true meaning of it until I began working with Louise. As a true beginner if something is too easy, I was probably doing it wrong. Louise made one tiny shift and I was formally introduced to my core (which I had ignored all these years). I think lack of core strength is why older people wind up having hip replacement and eventually limping. Louise taught me that there are tiny little muscles throughout the body, and if they don't do their job, major body parts such as hips, knees and shoulders overwork themselves and that's when the problems start. So those tiny components that are ignored are extremely important. Louise's dancing background also adds grace to the Pilates workout. Of course with that come more challenges. I don't think my balance has ever been this good!

To sum it up, Louise's core building challenging workouts have become part of my anti-aging program."

Yours Louise Forscher



About the author:

Louise Forscher is a native of New Zealand, trained as a certified dance instructor in London, England and as a certified Pilates instructor at Long Beach Dance Conditioning in Southern California.