Spine Curls

Added:Fri, 17th July 09

This great exercise that stretches the back starts with you in the relaxation position. Breath in to prepare for the movement and as you begin to exhale engage your pelvic floor muscles and hollow your navel to your spine.

Scoop your pelvis so that your lower back compresses into the floor, your pubic bone tilts up towards the ceiling and your tailbone tucks underneath you.

Leading with your pubic bone, curl your bottom off the mat and continue to roll the spine up off the mat vertebrae by vertebrae, inch by inch in a wheeling motion, until your reach the top, your body is in a straight line and you are looking out towards your knees.

Breath in wide and full into the rib cage and then as you start to breath out, lower the spine inch by inch in a reversed motion, by lowering the upper back to the mat first and continuing down the spine right down to the tail bone.

Aim to repeat the exercise 10 times.

Quick Tip!

When you reach the top point, engage from underneath using your bottom and the back of the thighs to keep your hips lifted. As you lower make sure you allow the lower back to press firmly into the mat before you let the bottom touch the floor and don’t allow the knees to come together or open wider than the feet – use the strength of the inner thighs to control them!