The power of a neutral spine

Here the natural forward curve of the lumbar spine/small of the back is maintained without splaying open the front ribs. My Pilates teacher friend, Lenize, says to think of your spine like a car seat (with a lumbar support shape), so when you lean back or forward, it's like hinging the car seat from the base. With the back, this means keeping the head, ribcage, and pelvis in alignment versus the head dropping or slumping in the waist region. Therefore the movement of the spine occurs at the level of the hips where the legs meet the pelvis. 

This lean-back move is not as easy as it looks, especially as I took the photo of myself on time delay, which required much running to and fro to get into the position in time! If your back is healthy, this position can be a great way to build strength. How far can you lean back without straining the back or pouching the stomach; keep it in;-). How long can you hold the position, then challenge it further by dancing the arms out, up, or free range to some music? If you want more of a workout, hold some weights or tinned food and move your arms around while you keep the back motionless in neutral! Maybe you could apply this to unloading the dishwasher or pulling some weeds?

Maintaining the lumbar curve in this way means you are strengthening the core muscles of the spine(multifidus) and the deepest abdominals(transverse abdominis). Similarly, when you align the ribcage with the pelvis, this creates robust support for the other deep stabilizers of the trunk, your breathing muscles of the diaphragm, and the pelvic floor muscles that stabilize your pelvis. 

Why is this important? Because organizing the back this way maximizes your ability to handle a load and brings ease to every day movements.

What about the other abdominal muscles like the classic six-pack? Yes, they can help too and they help curl the front body. But how often do you want to curl your front body? I've never had a six-pack except in the fridge, and you need extremely low body fat and intense endless practice to achieve that. In reality, they are superficial muscles with little relationship to keeping your back strong and healthy. 

Core muscles are close to the spine and work to stabilize its integrity. That means being strong to do the activities you both enjoy and need to do in life.