Many of you may have read or heard about The New York Times article “Everything You Knew About Good Abs May Be Wrong.”*(01) The premise of the article is that the way people are taught to work with their abdominals is incorrect and not an effective strategy for stabilization.
The article purports that the hollowing maneuver destabilizes the spine. Drawing heavily on an interview with Dr. Stuart McGill, professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo, he says of the transverse abdominus, “All abdominal and back muscles are important, not just this one.”
As the article continues it reports that, “Most of the time, exercisers are lying prone when they are told to consciously fire the muscles. Less often they are taught to perform an exercise that engages the transverse abdominus.”
After looking at the how the hollowing maneuver grew to such widespread use in the fitness and therapy areas, it turns it’s focus to Pilates: “The popularity of Pilates may have played a role in the fixation on sucking in the gut. But does this new thinking discredit the very foundation of the exercise program developed by Joseph Pilates?”
To answer this question it turns to Deborah Lessen, president of the PMA who clarifies that what Pilates is after is a deep activation approximately one inch above the pubic bone. Jillian Hessel adds that while physical therapy tends to focus on isolating body parts, Pilates is about training alignment. It concludes by stating that the drawing-in technique gets in the way during lifting, running, and other exercise.
Naturally, the article drew the attention of the health and fitness world. Internationally, its reach has been felt in countries such as the UK where the Daily Mail wrote an article based on this one with the headlines “Is Pilates Bad For Your Back?"*(02) The Daily Mail furthers the debate by stating about Pilates that, “some experts are now casting doubt over its ability to relieve back problems. Indeed, they suggest that many who take it up might actually do themselves more harm than good.”
As a teacher how do you respond to this article, these claims? First off, know that the debate will continue, as research is only beginning to explore the efficacy of Pilates in dealing with health problems. Anecdotally therapists have known that Pilates works, however clinical research trials that are well constructed have been few and far between.
What do we know? Pilates is much more than a simple scoop maneuver as the article leads the reader to believe. It is a movement system that rehabilitates the body. It is a movement system that moves the body holistically - rather than isolating body parts.
As you may recall from PPS, by defining Pilates as a movement system - it must meet the following criteria:
- Ability to improve the deep muscles to guide and control movement
- Has a goal of improving motor quality
- Focus on quality of movement over quantity
- Has a goal of teaching people how to produce and control movement within their functional range.
Teaching using your Peak Pilates 5 Part Formula for Success meets all of these criteria.
While the article zooms in on the core, the powerhouse is the core but more. It includes the muscles of the core, the pelvic floor, the inner thighs, and the gluteals! This relates directly to the McGill’s comments that a strong back requires a combination of strong muscles.
Oddly, Carolyn Richardson offers “an alternative way for healthy people to protect their backs while exercising,” which consists of stretching tall through the back of the head and relaxing the shoulders. Sure sounds like good Pilates properly taught.
Additionally, any discussion about Pilates must not limit itself to the scoop, but must examine its effectiveness in creating healthy movement patterns, balancing the body, and basically re-educating the neuro-muscular system. Peak Pilates helps students re-discover how to move from the center with stability, to move with efficiency and ease.
The articles comment about prone positions, must be a comment on the over reliance of the prone plank in the fitness industry, in Pilates prone positions are advancements against gravity of the basic work laid in supine, supported positions. And in regard to the comments that students are often not taught exercises that teach them to engage the transverse abdominus, this is just not true. Peak Pilates teaches fundamentals such as ISO-Abs, aimed at developing this essential firing pattern.
Interestingly, there is research that shows just the opposite of what this article discusses, that indeed Pilates is good for back pain! A study published in 2006*(03) concluded that “individuals in the Pilates exercise training group reported a significant decrease in LBP and disability which was maintained over a 12 month follow up period. Indeed, “the Pilates-based approach was more efficacious than usual care in a population with chronic, unresolved LBP." The article shares no research finding to the contrary.
In conclusion, arm yourself with knowledge! Stay on track to complete your Peak Pilates comprehensive and gain greater understanding of the body and of Pilates. Remember, that all Pilates instructors should be well trained and have extra training when dealing with issues such as scoliosis, stenosis, and other serious orthopedic and health concerns.
- Zoey Trap, Peak Pilates Master Trainer
1. Corman, Leela, (22 Feb 2007) “Everything You Knew About Good Abs May Be Wrong,” The New York Times
2. Bee, Peta, (5 Mar 2007) “Is Pilates Bad For Your Back?,” The Daily Mail
3. Rydeard, Rochenda; Leger, Andrew & Smith, Drew (2006) "Pilates-Based Therapeutic Exercise: Effect on Subjects with Nonspecific Chronic Low Back Pain and Functional Disability: A Randomized Controlled Study," J Orthop Sports Phsy Ther : 36 (7): 472-484