A Chain Reaction from Neck to Pilates Core
Neck Flexion vs. Neck Sheer.....
is the difference between a great Pilates Core workout
or just a pain in your neck!
With more automation of our everyday lives, there has also come less movement,
and this certainly includes the neck.
sitting at your desk to look at your computer
constantly looking down at your phone
being in your car, and using a monitor to capture your surrounding area (rather than turning the neck)
These long durations of head and neck immobility significantly impact
the functions of the neck.
picture provided by RI chiropractic drrichardpicard.com
A Little Anatomy
There are 7 vertebrae in the neck called the Cervical Vertebrae. This blog will focus primarily on the top 2 cervical vertebrae C1 and C2 - (this is how important they are!) These 2 vertebrae are responsible for moving the head and supporting the weight of it.
C1 allows for nodding (in “yes” nod movement) C1 and C2 together allow the head to move side to side (like when you turn to say “no”) With less neck movement in our day, C1 and C2 suffer the most loss of mobility. This cascades into a head sheer and overtime, can generate all forms of neck, upper traps, chest upper back tightness and strain.
Retrain the Wiring
As habits sets in and movement becomes more autonomic, there is a re-training that needs to occur for correction to happen. Visualization is a resourceful mechanism to get the body and mind to retrain their habits. We have use visualizing work at CoeDynamics, and have used it for over 20 years of teaching with Pilates clients in privates, semi’s and group sessions.
For Example, get your abs kicked in with this basic at home exercise!
Position: Lie your back on the floor, knees bent and feet flat, cup your hands over your ears, using the fingers/thumb as prongs against the head.
Movement: Head/Neck Roll
inhale while in position
as you exhale, use the fingers to roll the head forward (like nodding your head in a yes motion), until the head, neck and shoulders are all slightly rolled off the floor (tips of shoulder blades should still be on the floor)
inhale and hold the position for 5 counts, then exhale roll down and repeat
This exercise begins many Pilates exercises used in Pilates classes online and in Redondo Beach, such as Hundreds, Roll-Ups, Spine Stretch, Stomach Massage, Short Box, Saw, and more. The difference you feel with a correct position and use of your neck is either a great core/ab work or straining your neck!
Use It or Lose It
Over the years the phrase has been used “if you don’t use it, you lose it”. There is a lot of truth with that. In a Pilates work-out, with CoeDynamics, there is no mind, body part or muscle left behind. It is the wholeness of Pilates that makes this practice unique, effective and therapeutic for many.
“Contrology (Pilates) is a complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit.” — Joseph Pilates
Tracy Coe, CPT-PMA, C-QRA Functional Health & Nutrition Practitioner CoeDynamics
424.903.3104
Tracy Coe is a certified QRA functional health and nutrition practitioner who’s passion is to support the community in educating and providing professional documented and researched options of whole foods, cleansing, and toxicity prevention to support short/long term health and vitality for the individual and family. For more information email pilates@coe-dynamics.com or call 424.903.3104
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References
https://www.spinalcord.com/blog/c1-and-c2-vertebrae-the-basics-behind-the-worst-spinal-cord-injuries
drrichardpicard.com
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