March MATness Day 5: Rolling Back

[ChannelRunner2]

On March 5th, we get to do something fun while also rolling out our spine! Literally! Joe called the exercise Rolling Back. It’s also know as Rolling like a Ball, which gives you an idea of what we’ll do. With this exercise the thickness of the mat probably also comes into play: The thicker the mat, the more comfortable it’ll be to roll around...

As Andrea Maida puts it, this exercise gives “A nice massage of all the stuff we just stretched out.” (via pilatesandrea.com/on-the-or... ).

If you’re doing this and there’s a flat tire sound as your back gets onto the mat – that’s totally normal at first. Your spine isn’t flexible enough yet. Keep trying to round more, pull your pubic bone toward the navel to round your lower back. Also, see the video by Andrea Maida linked to below, starting around 04:10!

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If you don’t want to roll, you can lift your feet off the ground in Pose 2 and balance sitting like a ball, which also requires your ab and leg muscles (at least)...

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If you need to warm-up, do at least The Hundred. You can also go from the Hundred into the Ball shape a few times for an in between exercise 😉 Then repeat Rolling Back 6 times.

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Follow Joe’s instructions from the excerpt from Return to Life. Remember, according to John Steele, Joe encouraged his students to modify. Listen to your body and find out what feels right for you today.

Instructions from Online Pilates Classes – modifications are at the end of the video starting at 02:24: youtu.be/zIkB3oriVN4(Not working as expected?)

You can read more about the exercise and written instructions at the OPC page for it: onlinepilatesclasses.com/pi...

Another set of instructions from the Pilates Lesson Plan, including a video, are here: georgewatts.org/lesson-plan... (via pilateslessonplans.co.uk/fr... )

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If you’re struggling with this exercise, first, you're not alone! It's simple but not easy to do... Then, check out this video from Andrea Maida: youtu.be/swxf3oR72Xg(Not working as expected?)

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Standing variation: Ugh. I have no idea how to do this standing! However, to get similar effects, you could take a tennis ball (or another small ball), put it between your back and a wall, and use it to roll out your back.

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With this exercise, we can really enjoy the Mat sequence and take a little break from all the hard work of the first 4 exercises. Of course, the Rolling Back can also be hard work when we focus on really rolling, not just plopping back…

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Photo from Return to Life as published by Presentation Dynamics. Photos are far better reproduced in the paperback published by the Pilates Method Alliance in 2010, which isn’t available electronically. (See this post for the title page: healthunlocked.com/strength... )

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★ Our March MATness summary page: healthunlocked.com/strength... ★

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold]

ok, my modifications:

- all rolling I do on the guest bed with a hard mattress. My on-the-mat-on-the-floor rolling, although it has improved since starting yoga, it still I has a considerable heave-ho-momentum up moment whereas it’s more a flow on the bed. So it allows me to experience the movement, trying out modifications.

- on the mat I can do boat-pose to train up

- I can roll but with hands behind knees (not on top of knees)

So still some way to go, but it’s a little step forward.

Certainly when rowing quite an intense session today, my back felt stronger than for a long time. Is it the Pilates? Or just my progress on the rower. No matter what, m it’s great!

[ChannelRunner2 in reply to CBDB]

Sorry, I just saw your comment, CBDB 🙈 Hands behind knees is a perfectly acceptable modification! It is the modification I learned. You can also keep your knees apart. Try keeping your heels still together, though, as that helps activate the backs of your legs.

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to ChannelRunner2]

thank you! 👍🏽

[Sunshine908]

CBDB for people who want to do this against a wall, as you suggest, they might like to try something that was recommended to me. Put two tennis balls into a sock, a few inches apart (perhaps one in the toe and the other in the heel of the sock). Place it on the wall behind you so that the tennis balls are on the muscles to the side of your spine and there is no pressure on the spine itself. Then bend the knees to move up and down, and roll the whole thing up and down your back. I found this really helpful (nothing to do with pilates but just a back problem a few years ago).

I'm a few days behind with these but I'm having a pilates day today and aiming to catch up. I'm just watching Andrea Maida's video from your link, and love the fact that she talks about rolling like a brick! I think that's what mine will be like, but hey, practice makes perfect!

Sue

[ChannelRunner2 in reply to Sunshine908]

That's a great way to do this standing, Sue!

And, yes, that rolling like a brick also sounded very familiar to me... I am slowly, slowly starting to roll more and found Maida's suggestions very helpful, especially the idea of lowering really slowly, so that I can feel the muscles "turn on"...

[Sunshine908]

OK I tried this one and I think it needs some work! I did it on the mat and my spine just wouldn't curl up nicely so I did indeed roll like a brick. But one of the modifications was to just get into the start position and hold it for a few seconds, which I was able to do, so there is some hope for progress there I think.

Sue

[ChannelRunner2 in reply to Sunshine908]

I think this is really, really hard! I think I mentioned this in another comment somewhere else: I still sound like a flat tire more often than I like when I do this - after 3 years of working on it...