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 Hau’oli
Makahiki Hou - Happy New Year! Is one of your resolutions to improve
your surfing? If so, read
on and learn how Pilates will help make you a
stronger surfer by relieving tension in your low-back
when paddling. Pilates is based on the principle of
Contrology, which is the conscious control of all muscular
movements in the body. With Pilates, we begin by discovering, strengthening
and utilizing our core in all planes of movement. The core is comprised
of muscles that connect the back of the body around to
the front. Previous Surf Better with Pilates articles illustrated
a few fundamental exercises to begin to strengthen our abdominals.
If you missed these articles, you can find them
online at www.pilatesandsurf.com. In the exercises to follow, you
will learn to lift your upper body from a strong mid-back and avoid
compressing your low-back when paddling.
Find your Latissimus Dorsi (Lats)! The Lats are
a large muscle of the back; a triangular, flat muscle, which covers
the lumbar region (lowest part of the spine) and the lower half
of the thoracic region (middle part of the spine). Our first photo
illustrates the anatomy of your Lats (photo 1). 
Engage the Lats
Let’s learn to engage our Lats.
1. Begin by sitting at a table, with the top of your legs parallel
to the ground. Your knees are aligned with your hip-bones.
2. With a neutral spine and core muscles engaged (abdominals pull
in toward the spine without arching the back), place your palms
on the table, arms are bent at 90 degree angle and elbows stay close
to the body. Keep your collar-bone open; shoulders are reaching
out to each side of your body while arms remain close.
3. Inhale through your nose and feel your ribcage expand as it fills
with
air; the shoulder blades stay in place (resist the tendency to lift
them
toward your ears). As you exhale, keep those abdominals engaged
and press gently into the tabletop. When the Lats engage, you will
feel the mid-back widening (photo 2).
4. You may release and press again to engage the Lats one more time.
5. Next, lets place the hands under the table with the same organization
of the body. This time, you will press up into the underside of
the table, keeping those shoulder blades dropping down your back
(photo 3). If it is challenging for you to feel this sensation in
your back, consider photo 4, is this you?
TIP: Be mindful of your alignment, you may need to open the chest
a bit more, drop your shoulders away from your ears, or bring your
arms in closer to your body.
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Strengthen
the Lats
Once you have learned how to engage those Lats, practice the following
exercise to strengthen them and you will see how beneficial Pilates
is for surfers!
1. Lie face down on your mat with legs extended
straight (parallel and hip width apart with pointed
toes). Place your hands at shoulder level with
fingers spread wide, arms hugging close to the
body elbows will be toward the sky (you may feel a bit like a grasshopper).
If your neck strains forward in this position, it’s okay to
place a small towel under your forehead to keep your neck in line
with
your spine.
2.
Begin with the belly pulled into the spine, your sit bones come
toward each other (pelvic floor muscles engage), and pubic bone
presses slightly into the mat/floor. As you press into your palms,
feel your shoulders blades slide down your back, it
is important to keep the shoulders dropping away from the ears so
you will feel those Lats working (photo 5).
3. Inhale to prepare and on an exhale, belly button sinks into the
spine (protecting the lower back) and the upper body lifts off the
mat (photo 6). Keep your gaze toward the mat and remember your spine
runs up the back of the neck so this line should remain straight
(no looking up). You will feel your abdominals, Lats and triceps
working
to lift and hold your upper body.
4. With your next exhale press your palms
into the mat, shoulders stay down the back
and lift the chest just a few inches more
(photo 7). Your abdominals and mid-back
are working together to support your body.
5. With your next exhale, slowly lower the body back down to the
mat/floor. Please be sure to keep the effort in the Lats (no rising
shoulders).
Now, visualize yourself lying on your surfboard and paddling into
a wave: your abdominals and Lats are engaged and your low-back remains
happy and healthy.
Another benefit of training the body to stabilize in this way is
the same exercise we learned to strengthen the Lats is the foundation
for pushing yourself up to your feet once you have dropped into
that wave!
In each issue of WSSM, Surf Better with
Pilates will continue to provide exercises and insight to the body
that will help you improve your surfing.
If you are new to Pilates, please visit our
website to see previous Surf Better with Pilates articles: www.pilatesandsurf.com.
Pilates is most effective when practiced with a certified instructor
so please email me if you’d like to train with an instructor
or have a question, comment, or idea to share. I may be reached
at: kym@pilatesandsurf.com.
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