I have personally witnessed the benefits of this methodology through the unique experience of having been a Pilates client before becoming a certified Pilates instructor. As a professional in the fitness industry for the past ten years, an overwhelming percentage of my clients had come to me complaining of chronic lower back pain and also shared the desire to have stronger abdominals and an over-all toned body. Pilates provides practitioners a solid system with which to attain these goals, helping to create the desired physical foundations of improved health, stamina and flexibility, as well as the aesthetic benefits of a fit body.

Aside from the many health benefits of regular training in this system, Pilates can also assist in improving your personal performance in other sports. Golfers, for example, can add yardage to their drives and iron shots with the proper and continual practice of specific exercises, and their variations. One such exercise is called Bridging. Bridging strengthens the abdominals, increases spinal mobility, helps alleviate lower back pain and aids in the prevention of future back injuries.

Bridging is a simple, but not easy, technique with several variations. You begin by lying on your back with your feet flat on the floor, hip width, and knees bent about 90°. With your arms by your side, palms facing upward, feel your head extending in one direction and your tailbone in the other, feeling as though your spine were lengthening. Inhale.