05 September 2018
Whether we're sat at our desk, standing on the tube or walking to our local grocery store, we're often focusing and applying weight to our front body. Even in our workouts we dedicate so much of our time to toning our abs, but strengthening the muscles in our back and working on our spinal extension has a number of benefits, both in and out of class.
POSTURE
When you strengthen the muscles in your back it helps draw your shoulder blades down and back creating an external rotation of the shoulders. We spend so much time with our shoulders internally rotated whilst typing on laptops or texting on phones, that this is an important balance to create. A stronger back will improve your overall posture both inside and outside of class, and a better posture makes you appear more taller and more confident!
CORE STRENGTH
Most people assume that your ‘core’ is just your abdominals, but your core consists of much more than your abs. Your core includes the muscles that stabilise your spine, as well as your gluteals, pelvic floor and much more. When you have a balance of front and back body strength it helps keep your spine in its optimal position which provides support for your pelvis and relieves tension in your lower back.
SPINAL MOBILITY
A healthy spine is one that can move in all directions; forwards, backwards and side to side. In order to gain mobility we must do exercises which enable our spine to be in a variety of positions. We naturally flex (round forward) and rotate (twist around) our spine in a lot of our daily movements but we rarely extend (back bend) our spine, unless of course, it’s part of our fitness routine! So your Barrecore classes (especially the spinal extension lifts we often do at the end) provide a great opportunity for you to strengthen your back and lengthen your spine.
EXERCISES THAT IMPROVE YOUR BACK BODY STRENGTH
- Pull ups
- Planks (a great exercise for the front and back body)
- Fold over or all fours seat work with one arm lifted
- Rows or flys
EXERCISES THAT EXTEND YOUR SPINE
- Spinal extension lifts
- Crunch on the ball
- Back bends
Take as little or as much as you’d like!
You'll explore many of these exercises and more in a Barrecore class. See you in a class soon!
