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Lower Back Pain Causes & Solutions The Dart

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Pilates Sample Exercises
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Note: Stop if you feel any pain in your lower back.
The Dart:- Start Position
  1. Lie on your front with small pillow under your forehead if you wish.
  2. Arms at your sides with palms facing inward. Legs together and toes pointing.
  3. Anchor the scapulas.
The Dart:- Action
  1. Breathe in, zip and hollow, (imagine there is an egg under your stomach which you do not wish to break) and lengthen your spine, especially the back of your neck.
  2. Clench buttock and thigh muscles.
  3. (Breathing out): pull your shoulders downward, and up off the floor.
  4. Breathe in and hold while maintaining a long body.
  5. (Breathing out): slowly lower your head and shoulders.
  6. Repeat three to six times/
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The Dart:
Start Position DartStrt
Action
DartFin
Comments
You have to understand the concepts of the Scapular Anchor and the Chin Tuck to make this exercise work for you.




What it does
  • Works the back extensor muscles without over-extending.
  • The muscles that are worked are the same muscles that stabilize the torso when the Gluteus maximus is (or at least should be) pulling the leg backward during running or vigorous walking.
Watch Points
  • Hollow the abdominals (remember the "egg under the tum").
  • Keep the back of the neck long and soft.
  • Maintain the scapular anchor.
Reference
  1. Shirley A Sahrmann: Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes; Publ. Mosby 2002
  2. The Official Body Control Pilates Manual Available from: http://www.bodycontrol.co.uk/

© Bruce Thomson, EasyVigour Project
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