Courtesy Strong and Stable for LIVING WELL Magazine
A division of Texoma Orthopedic and Spine
“Weak or tight back or abdominal muscles cannot support your back properly, leading to pain and injury risk. Work with a spine specialist to find exercises that stretch and strengthen back and abdominal muscles, such as yoga and Pilates,” says a recent video series from the North American Spine Society. Hmmm, if one of the country’s premier medical associations recognizes that a strong core is essential to spine health, and that yoga and Pilates are good methods to achieve a strong core, maybe there is something more to it.
So, what is meant by “core muscles”? According to Mayo Clinic, the core muscles are the muscles around your low back, abdomen, hips and pelvis and training those muscles leads to better balance and stability. A recent statement from Mayo’s website tells us: “Strong core muscles make it easier to do everything from swinging a golf club to getting a glass from the top shelf or bending down to tie your shoes. Weak core muscles leave you susceptible to poor posture, lower back pain and muscle injuries.”
At Texoma Orthopedic and Spine, we recognized that our daily lives often don’t include activities or exercises that benefit these all-important muscles groups, even in people who exercise regularly. When our practice’s physical therapist, Dr. Colleen Grafa, PT, DSc, began to talk to our surgeons about how Pilates-based movement has increasingly become a part of normal physical therapy regimens, and the research to back up the benefits increases, we began to realize that it could be a great service to our patients. Dr. Grafa, who holds a doctorate degree in physical therapy, says this about comparing her training in Pilates to her doctorate in physical therapy: “A doctorate is real research based in how to look at literature and do manual techniques, but as far as every day being able to work with patients and the well-being of people, the Pilates outweighs it.”
Contrary to popular belief, Pilates is not just a discipline for serious athletes, ballerinas and Hollywood starlets. In fact, Pilates was named for its creator, Joseph Pilates, who developed his method of exercise while working as a nurse in a WWI war camp. He rigged a system of springs and bars to the injured soldiers’ beds to assist them in getting out of bed and doing rehabilitation without causing further damage to their bodies
What people often associate with yoga is a slow, relaxation type of yoga that focuses on meditation or spirituality. When in reality there are many different types of yoga. Some styles move very quickly and are designed to make you work up a sweat, while others move slowly and can focus more on the mental aspect. At TOS we teach the varieties that focus on strengthening and lengthening those critical core muscle groups. These are referred to as Hatha or Vinyasa yoga.
Another common misconception is that Pilates and yoga are only for the young, flexible or very fit person. When in actuality, both can be practiced by people at almost any age or fitness level because they both offer modifications that can accommodate different needs and they are both low-impact, placing less stress on the joints than some other forms of exercise.
It was also important to us that we make sure we only brought in the best of the best when it comes to instructors. So we make sure all of our instructors are highly trained and qualified. Our yoga instructors must have at least 200 hours of training and be certified through Yoga Alliance. Our Pilates instructors are certified through Pilates Method Alliance and some carry as many as 2,000 hours of training and the instructors and classes are headed up by Dr. Grafa. Of course there are many methods of strengthening and improving your health, Pilates and yoga are only two of those. And as always, talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise program.
If you’d like more information about how you can strengthen your core through exercise, contact our office at 903-465-2190 option 7. As always, talk with a doctor before beginning any exercise program.
